Disney keeps expanding its media kingdom, this time with nature documentaries.

The Walt Disney Co. said on Monday that it is launching a new film label entitled Disneynature which will be focused on making wildlife and enviromental movies to be released in theaters starting in 2009 with “Earth.”

It’s basically Disney’s way of cashing in on the Planet Earth idea that had audiences going crazy. Dick Cook, the chairman of the Walt Disney Studios, stated, “Our goal at Disneynature is to bring big event films as only nature can tell.”

Run by filmmaker Jean-Francois Camilleri, a producer of The March of the Penguins, Disneynature is going to look at animal migration patterns from around the world and the environment and the ecosystems. Besides the “Earth” project, they’ve got two others planned, “Chimpanzee” and “Big Cats,” both filmed in Africa.

Here’s Disney’s attempt at bringing education back into the theaters for the young ones. Let’s hope it works in their favor.

Pictures courtesy Disney & NASA