Will Smith’s newly released Disney+ doco series, Welcome to Earth, will feature the Mt Yasur volcano on Tanna in Vanuatu, and to say locals are stoked is an understatement.
The documentary series, which was produced in collaboration with National Geographic, premiered on 8 December and features Smith exploring the beauty of the world in a David Attenborough-esque style.
Vanuatu Tourism’s short-haul markets manager, Paul Pio, said the locals were ecstatic when Smith showed up.
“It is not often that Tanna is visited by such high-profile guests. To mark the occasion, the Will Smith kava bar (featured image) came into being,” said Pio.
“Kava bars or nakamals as they are called in Vanuatu are an important meeting place and this is quite the honour.”
Most people who visit Tanna are on a bucket list journey to stand on the edge of an active volcano.
Visitors can look over the rim into the belly of the beast and see lava smashing into the rocks like a sea in a storm.
Welcome to Earth features Smith and his crew lowering themselves into the belly of Mt Yasur.
The group of adventurers traversed the ash plains of the volcano and were welcomed to Tanna in the traditional kastom way.
The island is a 45-minute flight from Port Vila, Vanuatu’s capital, and is coveted by intrepid tourists seeking to leave the modern world behind in a place that holds its traditions and kastom close.
The documentary is a six-episode series made in collaboration with critically acclaimed film-maker Darren Aronofsky as executive director.
