David Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet an obituary for the earth

Sir David Attenborough has built his career on showcasing the wonders of the natural world - but his latest creation is more of an obituary to it.

Attenborough's A Life On Our Planet film reveals how the extinction of the human race will play out - and how it can be avoided. 

Attenborough said it was his intention to disturb viewers with the film.

It lays bare the painful and uncomfortable realities of what humans have done to the planet including replacing the wild with the tame.

"The moment comes when you say, 'Yes there is a problem' and you just can't go on ignoring it," Attenborough said.

The film is a journey through Attenborough's life, using decades of archive footage and while it shows what'll happen to Earth without intervention, it also provides a solution.

If we act now, we can yet put it right by rewilding the world, working with nature, not against it.

The film's co-director Jonnie Hughes said the reason the world was so stable when Attenborough started his career was "because the world was so wild at that stage". 

"And we need to re-wild it in order to bring back that stability."

When asked if New Zealand can really make a difference as such a small country, Attenborough replied: "You've made a lot of difference, by example!" 

"We do take notice of what you say in New Zealand, I certainly do."

The whole world needs to take notice of this film though, if not, we risk losing our very existence.