Toronto-based Elevation Pictures and Mercury films have partnered with Vendôme Pictures to produce Fire Weather, a feature documentary exploring the global wildfire crisis.

The project, directed by Mercury’s Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal, builds on Vancouver-based John Vaillant’s Pulitzer Prize non-fiction finalist Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World, which details the 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alta., what led to it and the devastation potential of modern wildfires.

Currently in production, Fire Weather is produced by de Pencier and Baichwal for Mercury Films with Christina Piovesan and Ruti Prikhoji for Elevation Pictures. Environmental Defence Canada has partnered with the production team to provide climate and policy advocacy expertise while Vaillant serves as a story consultant.

Vendôme Pictures is an executive producer on the project alongside Vaillant and Michelle Koerner and optioned the book’s film and television rights in 2024. The film aims to wrap production at the end of the year with delivery in 2026/27, a spokesperson for Elevation Pictures told Playback Daily.

Image courtesy of Elevation Pictures