Talk about ambition, a Texas startup named Colossal Biosciences, founded by entrepreneur Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church, is on a mission that reads like a science fiction novel—but it's all very real, and it's all heading to your screens. The company's daring venture into reviving species like the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and even the dodo bird is now the subject of a new docuseries, as reported by Austin American Statesman.
In an era where "de-extinction" sounds less like a pipe dream and more like a scientific crossing line, Colossal is poised to pull back the curtain on their laboratory secrets over the next five years. Teton Ridge Entertainment is putting their money into the initial phase of production, and they've snagged James Reed, famed for the Netflix hit "My Octopus Teacher," to capture the story. They want to track Colossal's bid to "tweak existing species to more closely resemble their long-dead relatives," according to WIRED.
Colossal isn't just shooting for the stars with genetics, it's aiming to be a media educator of sorts. Lamm told WIRED, "There’s nothing more transparent than letting film crews sit in your office and labs right?" Lamm's goal seems clear: educate rather than persuade, acting as an open book in one of science's most controversial chapters.
The series promises an 'edu-tainment' aspect with the legitimacy of scientific rigor, peppered with human stories—as Reed mused about the opportunity, "We were immediately intrigued by it, and that triggered numerous conversations." Lamm's discussion at South by Southwest next month alongside Seth Green on someone of a similar make and model—"Jurassic Park"—produces an art-meets-life moment. Throw in Emily Castel, the former Hollywood executive with blockbusters like "Pacific Rim" and "Jurassic World" under her belt as their new chief marketing officer, and we've got a recipe that's bound to attract some serious attention. journey as it is about the destination.
