National Geographic today released the network's first-ever stand-alone spot for this Sunday's championship football game, premiering immediately following Lady Gaga's highly anticipated halftime show. The 45-second spot, entitled "Bad Romance," teases the upcoming scripted series GENIUS, from executive producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and starring Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein ("The Kings Speech," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Shine"), Emily Watson ("Theory of Everything," "The Book Thief") as Elsa Einstein and Johnny Flynn ("Clouds of Sils Maria," "Song One," "Lovesick") as younger Einstein. The official trailer for the series was released last month (watch here) and Rolling Stone recently declared the series one of the "25 Most Anticipated TV Shows of 2017."
Premiering in the U.S. on Tuesday, April 25 (and around the world in 171 countries and 45 languages), GENIUS charts how Albert Einstein, an imaginative, rebellious patent clerk who struggled to land an academic post in his early years, went on to become the greatest scientific mind of the 20th century, all while juggling volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. Ron Howard makes his prime-time television drama directorial debut with the series premiere episode airing April 25. The commercial featuring Rush as Einstein, shot in Prague earlier this week, was created for National Geographic by ad agency McCann New York. The ad opens with Einstein in his study, picking up a violin, tapping into his well-known passion for playing Bach and Mozart. As the spot continues, Einstein starts playing the most beautiful, frenzied sonata, and halfway through the commercial, viewers will recognize the piece as Lady Gaga's hit song "Bad Romance" - although a version not heard like this before. The song "Bad Romance" subtly teases Einstein's little-known lothario ways. In fact, Einstein once said, "Lasting harmony with a woman [was] an undertaking in which I twice failed rather disgracefully."Watch the promo below:
"We are excited to take this opportunity to promote our first-ever global scripted series, GENIUS, starring Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson during one of America's most-watched television events," said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Global Networks. "It's a simple and engaging commercial that not only tapes into the zeitgeist of Lady Gaga's highly anticipated halftime performance, but also perfectly represents the surprising side of Einstein the series captures. We hope it will cut through the noise, force viewers to take notice and give this broader audience a glimpse into the National Geographic brand of premium content."Videos