Werner Herzog's Wild Summer: Venice, Maras, and Viral Cheese Memes

Werner Herzog BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

The Werner Herzog news cycle has kicked into high gear the past several days, with headlines from the Venice Film Festival and a string of public and creative appearances drawing fresh attention to the ever-provocative director. Today, July 22, both Screen Daily and World of Reel confirmed that Herzog's much-discussed film Ghost Elephants will debut out of competition at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, running August 27 through September 6. While not his first foray onto the Lido, the inclusion signals that Herzog remains an international auteur with enduring relevance, especially alongside a competitor lineup boasting Guillermo del Toro, Kathryn Bigelow, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Lavocedinewyork highlighted that Herzog is to receive a Lifetime Golden Lion at the festival, placing him in the company of Kim Novak and cementing his standing in film history—easily the most biographically significant development for him in months.

Business activity is humming as well. Kate Mara recently told The Hollywood Reporter that she and sister Rooney Mara wrapped Bucking Fastard, a feature directed by Herzog. The film is generating buzz both for its star sibling pairing and for Herzog’s signature artistic lens, and the project could mark a new high point in cross-generational Hollywood collaborations. IMDB’s industry news feed also noted that Herzog was featured as part of a special lineup for the June 29 edition of CBS’s 60 Minutes, suggesting continued demand for his perspective in mainstream cultural conversations.

Not to be outdone by institutional accolades, Herzog’s influence was the subject of Round 209 of the Philosophy Throwdown meetup, scheduled for July 30 in Los Angeles, where his body of work will be dissected for its philosophical underpinnings and Nietzschean themes—a testament to how his films have become required viewing in everything from cinema studies to existentialist book clubs.

Social media users, meanwhile, keep Herzog’s persona in the public eye. An Instagram meme doing the rounds this week playfully imagines his famed deadpan narration, this time about eating ancient cheese—a viral reminder of his unique status as both a respected filmmaker and pop-culture touchstone. Herzog’s classic Stroszek even headlined a July 18 screening at 7th House as reported by the Philosophical Research Society, drawing nostalgic cinephiles and new audiences alike.

In short, between a Venice lifetime achievement, new films, high-wattage collaborations, and his undiminished role as a cultural eccentric, Werner Herzog is making news on nearly every front—proving there are still plenty of wild Herzog stories left for the canon.

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