Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) will be Bear Grylls’ first guest on Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge (like Running Wild but on steroids), premiering on July 25, 2022 on National Geographic. Grylls will also be attempting to teach survival skills to Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Anthony Anderson (black-ish), and Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
Plus, Ashton Kutcher (The Ranch) will attempt to survive in the jungles of Costa Rica while Rob Riggle (Holey Moley) visits the Great Basin.
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge will push the celebrities to their absolute limits, with Bear challenging each of his guests to earn their way out of the wilderness.
Per National Geographic: “This season, guests will not only be pushed physically and mentally — like plunging into a frozen lake in the Canadian Rockies or foraging for food in the deserts of the Great Basin — but Bear will be testing each on their survival skills. This time, they will be tested beyond other guests: after Bear teaches each of them a key set of skills, they will then have to master them on their own and deploy those skills at a high-intensity moment to earn their extraction from the wilderness.”
Some truly amazing new stars and guests of Running Wild! This season we take it up a level! Officially the most challenging season ever on Running Wild With Bear Grylls we have ever done… and it all starts July 25th at 9/8c on National Geographic. Are you ready? #RunningWild pic.twitter.com/tJAyDOspA3
— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) June 21, 2022
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge Episode Details and Air Dates
- NATALIE PORTMAN IN SOUTHERN UTAH
Premieres July 25 at 9/8c on National Geographic
Bear takes Academy Award® winner Natalie Portman into the slot canyons of Southern Utah. Their adventure begins when Bear leaps from his helicopter onto Natalie’s 4×4. They trek into the Escalante desert, where Bear teaches Natalie piton placements, rope system transfers and fire-starting while descending various canyons. Natalie uses her new skills as they ascend a mountain and attempt to light a signal fire for extraction. - SIMU LIU IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
Premieres Aug. 1 at 9/8c on National Geographic
Bear takes Marvel superhero Simu Liu to the Canadian Rockies. As the adventure begins, they must trigger an avalanche to clear a path to a ravine and find an old cabin or risk hypothermia as temperatures drop below -20. The next day, Bear sets the ultimate arctic challenge: Simu must strip down to plunge into a frozen lake and then navigate to a dogsled team to whisk them back to civilization. - ASHTON KUTCHER IN THE COASTAL JUNGLES OF COSTA RICA
Premieres Aug. 8 at 9/8c on National Geographic
Ashton Kutcher joins Bear to challenge the coastal jungles of Costa Rica. Their adventure begins with a helicopter jump into the Pacific Ocean. Once they swim ashore, they must canoe up a river to fish for their dinner, then descend a 300-foot cliff into the jungle. The next day, Bear sets up a commando crawl rope challenge. Ashton must use all the strength he can muster to cross a massive ravine. - FLORENCE PUGH IN THE VOLCANIC RAINFORESTS OF COSTA RICA
Premieres Aug. 15 at 9/8c on National Geographic
Rappelling from a helicopter, Bear takes Florence Pugh to the volcanic rainforests of Costa Rica. Bear shows Florence how to traverse rapids, test river depth with a rope and rock, and avoid poisonous snakes and deep cliff edges. Crossing an alligator-infested swamp, they catch eel for dinner. On day two, Florence must test the depth of a waterfall pool before choosing to leap from a high cliff into a set of rapids below. Finally, they jump out of an airplane at 10,000 feet to their extraction. - ANTHONY ANDERSON IN THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS
Premieres Aug. 22 at 9/8c on National Geographic
Anthony Anderson joins Bear in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Tossing their backpacks from the helicopter, Bear challenges Anthony to survive with just a rope and compass. On the ground, Bear teaches Anthony navigation and knot-tying skills. On day two, Bear leaves Anthony to use his new skills to secure his climb up a sheer rock face. Anthony will dig deep to make it to their extraction point. - ROB RIGGLE IN THE GREAT BASIN DESERT
Premieres Aug. 22 at 10/9c on National Geographic
Bear puts Rob Riggle through survival tests in the Great Basin to prepare for Rob’s latest movie role. They begin by rappelling from a helicopter to travel west, where Riggle learns the ropes and then faces an even bigger ropes challenge. Once on the canyon floor, Bear teaches Rob river crossing skills, foraging for food and building a rudimentary shelter. The next day, Rob must evade being spotted by Bear or face his fear of skydiving.
All episodes will stream on Disney+ beginning August 10, 2022.
