Ridley Scott films at Iceland volcano “ready to blow”

Director Ridley Scott has started shooting scenes for his new sci-fi film, bringing actors and crew to the base of a volcano in Iceland that experts say is about to erupt.

The Oscar-winning director on Monday began filming part of “Prometheus,” his next film, at the foot of Iceland’s Hekla volcano, said to be one of the most active in the country.

Actors Charlize Theron, Michael Fessbender, Guy Pearce, Lisbeth Salander and Noomi Rice are in Iceland for the two-week shoot. The film is scheduled to hit U.S. screens in June 2012.

“If one is afraid of nature in this profession then it would be best to find a different job,” Scott told reporters in Iceland, according to the website IceNews.

According to Agence France-Presse, experts have warned that the Hekla volcano is ready to erupt at any moment, based on measurements showing magma movement.

Iceland’s volcanoes have gained recent notoriety for their tendency to blow ash into Europe’s airspace, disrupting air travel across the continent.

(More from GlobalPost in Reykjavik: Letter from Iceland)

The Oscar-winning director of "Blade Runner," "Gladiator," “Black Hawk Down” and "Thelma and Louise" said he was drawn to Iceland because of its rugged landscapes.

Scott told reporters he was inspired by the country’s “black rock and … no trees,” AFP reports.

But despite the risk of shooting at the base of an active volcano, Iceland won’t play a main role in “Prometheus.”

“It will be 15 minutes in total, if all goes to plan,” Ridley said, according to IceNews. “We are shooting the beginning of time.”