Cannes: Werner Herzog's Volcano Doc Launching in Market

Dogwoof Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to the iconic filmmaker's 'Into the Inferno,' currently in preproduction.

Having already examined prehistoric cave art, the intense relationships between humanity and death, and grizzly bears, Werner Herzog will next be aiming his unique investigative lens at something even more deadly: volcanoes.

Currently in preproduction, Into the Inferno will see the iconic filmmaker — whose latest narrative feature, Queen of the Desert, starting Nicole Kidman, was received coolly in Berlin — probing mankind’s connection with the most destructive and creative forces on Earth. The film is also now set to be heading to the Cannes Marche du Film, having had its worldwide rights acquired by U.K.-based Dogwoof Pictures.

"It’s difficult to think of anything more exciting and challenging than bringing together Werner Herzog and the world’s most dangerous volcanoes. This is a film we can’t wait to see — and we’re the ones making it,” said Richard Melman of Spring Films, which is co-producing the documentary alongside Herzog Film and Matter of Fact Media.

Filming on Into the Inferno will commence this year in North Korea, with production then moving to Indonesia, Italy, Hawaii, Iceland and Eritrea, ahead of a planned 2016 release. The film will see Herzog team with leading volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer, whom he met in Antarctica while filming Encounters at the End of the World in 2006. The duo will travel to active volcanoes around world and explore how societies survive under the constant threat of eruption — and in doing so, also examine how these "mountains of fire" have inspired culture from antiquity to the present day.

Dogwoof will handle all international sales for Into the Inferno with the exception of Canada, and will be showing a teaser clip to buyers in Cannes. The company will also act as U.K. distributor.

“It's a huge coup to be adding Werner Herzog's next documentary project to the Dogwoof slate for worldwide representation, and after the huge international success of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, we are more than confident that his inimitable style combined with such an epic subject matter will once again deliver a film both as magical and as commercial," said Dogwoof’s head of distribution Oli Harbottle. "We look forward to taking the project to Cannes, where we anticipate a high level of interest for presales."