National Geographic has released the trailer for ‘Pompeii: Out Of Time With Tom Hiddleston’, a new three-part docudrama which sees Tom Hiddleston (Loki, The Night Manager) turn “time detective” as he investigates the final hours of the doomed Roman city. The series premieres this July on Disney+ and National Geographic.
Produced by Plimsoll Productions, ‘Pompeii: Out Of Time With Tom Hiddleston’ reunites Hiddleston with Kevin R. Wright, executive producer on Loki, for a series which mixes cinematic scripted drama with investigative documentary storytelling. The aim is to transport audiences back to ancient Rome in the hours before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, while using modern archaeological and scientific evidence to challenge some long-held assumptions about what happened.
Guided by a team of archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts, Hiddleston uncovers the stories of real people caught up in the catastrophe, including evidence suggesting that many of those trapped in the disaster may have had the chance to survive.
With a twist of his hand, Hiddleston journeys back in time, stepping into scripted sequences which follow the lives of real Romans caught in Vesuvius’ path. The series follows a teenage apprentice, a powerful businesswoman and a mysterious Praetorian Guard, as Hiddleston pieces together how each confronted impossible choices as disaster loomed. As the volcano awakens and the countdown begins, the evidence converges in a race against time to uncover who survived, who perished, and what determined their fate.
“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,” said Hiddleston. “Classical Antiquity is the foundation and cornerstone of Western and European culture. To visit Pompeii is to feel the distance of the 2,000 years between now and then compress. The past becomes the present; the past feels so close. Tangible, honest and real. Our relationship with the past is alive — studying who we were in order to understand who we are. Pompeii is a gateway for that conversation. It’s a privilege to host this visually immersive and dynamic series. 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. To revisit the final hours of those ordinary people, caught in an extraordinary moment, and to help bring these remarkable human stories back into the light, is a genuine honor.”
The series also features a cinematic approach shaped by Wright’s work on Marvel’s Loki, blending new archaeological discoveries, expert analysis and personal storytelling. Rather than presenting Pompeii purely as a story of destruction, the series reframes it as a human drama of resilience, sacrifice and survival, revealing the lives and choices of those standing in the shadow of Vesuvius.
“National Geographic has spent more than a century bringing the past to life through groundbreaking discoveries, exploration and world-class storytelling,” said Tom McDonald, EVP of Content, National Geographic. “Working with Tom and Kevin, alongside the team at Plimsoll led by showrunner Tom Barbor-Might, 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.”
Alongside the series, natgeo.com will publish a major story on three Roman cities buried by Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, which will also feature in the August issue of National Geographic magazine. Using AI and advanced DNA analysis, researchers are uncovering new insights into ancient Roman life, including class and gender dynamics at Oplontis, previously unreadable lost writings from Herculaneum’s carbonised scrolls, and evidence of diet and disease from a Pompeii latrine. Because even 2,000 years ago, apparently everyone was still worrying about inequality, health, and whether they were living their best life.
The original series soundtrack, featuring a score by composer Aisling Brouwer, will be released through Hollywood Records on Friday, 24th July 2026.
‘Pompeii: Out Of Time With Tom Hiddleston’ is produced by Plimsoll Productions. For Plimsoll, Tom Barbor-Might serves as showrunner and director; Jessica Ruston and Mark Ravenhill are writers, with additional writing by Kevin R. Wright and Tom Barbor-Might; and Grant Mansfield, Kevin R. Wright, Helen Flint and Alan Eyres are executive producers. For National Geographic, Carolyn Payne is the executive producer, Charlie Parsons is senior vice president of Development, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Unscripted Production, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of National Geographic Content.
‘Pompeii: Out Of Time With Tom Hiddleston’ premieres Thursday, 23rd July 2026 on Disney+ and National Geographic.
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