Trio nabs Herzog's Antartica doc

ThinkFilm, Image, Discovery to distribute film

By WINTER MILLER

Herzog

Werner Herzog's 'Encounters at the End of the World' takes a look at the lives of Antarticans.

Werner Herzog's docu about the daily lives of Antarcticans, "Encounters at the End of the World," will be distribbed jointly by ThinkFilm and Image Entertainment in partnership with Discovery Films.

"Encounters," which will bow June 11, preemed at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival and marks Herzog's return to the theatrical documentary form after 2005's critically hailed "Grizzly Man." He previously partnered with Discovery Films on that pic, which saw healthy domestic B.O. of about $3 million.

Herzog is known for visually stunning and insightful portraits that telescope the starkest of individual experiences into metaphors about the human condition. Here, lensing entirely on location, he explores the existence of people working in literally blinding conditions, as well as natural elements such as a volcano and, yes, penguins.

Herzog begins at the populated research center McMurdo Station, with its yoga studios and ATMs, and journeys deeper into the vast landscape of the South Pole.

Docu was written, directed and narrated by Herzog.

ThinkFilm will handle North American theatrical distribution along with Image Entertainment, which will also manage DVD and digital sales.

Exec producers for Creative Differences are Erik Nelson, Dave Harding and Phil Fairclough; Discovery Films' Andrea Meditch exec produced with Discovery Channel's Julian P. Hobbs.

Deal was negotiated by Josh Braun of Submarine with Jason Beck of Image Entertainment and Mark Urman of ThinkFilm.