‘This Isn’t Jurassic Park’ New Doc Explores the Science Behind the ‘De-Extinction’ of Dire Wolves and Other Animals

Dire wolves, the canine companions from Game of Thrones and an extinct species of the real world, are back, but how did they make their return?

A new documentary plans to reveal the scientific breakthroughs that made this “de-extinction” possible. De-Extinction premieres July 17 on Curiosity Stream, and PEOPLE has a first look at the trailer for the upcoming project.

The trailer for the documentary opens with a discussion of the “biodiversity problem” facing the Earth — the threat of half the world’s species going extinct by 2050.

Some experts who spoke with De-Extinction believe the way to combat this potential crisis is to “dig into the past and bring some of these really important species back.”

Colossal Biosciences is pursuing this plan, having already revived the dire wolf using grey wolf DNA, and is working on projects to bring back the giant moa bird and other extinct animals. In the trailer, the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger are also mentioned as candidates for “de-extinction.”

The documentary promises to do more than talk about animals from the past. According to De-Extinction, the film aims to show how scientists are bringing back bygone species, and discuss the ethical dilemmas emerging from the advancement of this new field.

“This isn’t Jurassic Park. It’s real science and real stakes, which can be much messier than people think.” John Cavanagh, the doc’s executive producer, teased in a statement with PEOPLE.

“This is an incredible breakthrough. Genetic research has let us understand evolution like never before. De-extinction captures the potential of this moment, showing how radical science could shape the future of life on Earth. But it’s also a sobering look at what’s at stake,” he added.

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De-Extinction will take viewers to labs around the world, where researchers are working on a variety of groundbreaking projects that they consider key to protecting the planet’s biodiversity.

To learn more about the science that seems straight out of science fiction, tune into De-Extinction available on Curiosity Stream starting July 17.