Tom Hiddleston investigates Pompeii’s final hours in new Disney+ documentary event – Tom Hiddleston is stepping back in time for a groundbreaking new documentary series, with National Geographic unveiling Pompeii: Out of Time With Tom Hiddleston, premiering 23 July on Disney+.
The three-part docudrama reunites the Loki star with executive producer Kevin R. Wright, blending cinematic drama with investigative documentary storytelling to explore the final hours before the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
Hosted by Hiddleston, the series follows a team of archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts as they examine new evidence that challenges long-held assumptions about the destruction of Pompeii. Among the discoveries explored is evidence suggesting many people caught up in the disaster may have had a chance to escape.
Using dramatic recreations based on real historical figures, Hiddleston steps into the lives of three Pompeii residents: a teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a Praetorian Guard. Through their stories, the series reconstructs the decisions, dangers and opportunities faced as Vesuvius erupted and the city’s fate was sealed.
Hiddleston said the ancient world has fascinated him for most of his life.
“The ancient world has compelled my imagination and curiosity for as long as I can remember: I’ve been fascinated by it all my life.
“Pompeii is often remembered for how its story ended. But by looking closer, we can uncover the details of people’s lives, the choices they made, and the moments that came before the city was buried.”
National Geographic’s Executive Vice President of Content, Tom McDonald, described the project as a new approach to historical storytelling.
“Working with Tom and Kevin, alongside the team at Plimsoll, has been a process of inventing an entirely new genre of history programming — one which brings evidence and imagination together in a way which feels distinctive.”
The series combines recent archaeological discoveries, expert analysis and scripted sequences to reframe Pompeii not simply as a story of destruction, but as a human story of resilience, sacrifice and survival.
Produced by Plimsoll Productions for National Geographic, Pompeii: Out of Time With Tom Hiddleston streams from 23 July on Disney+
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Tom Hiddleston investigates Pompeii’s final hours in new Disney+ documentary event
