Doug worked as Production Designer alongside directors Don Argott and Demian Fenton to honor one of the greatest Heavy Metal Icons of our generation – the incredible Ronnie James Dio. Working to re-create pivotal scenes from Dio’s life through the 60’s to 2000’s, Sakmann handled the vintage picture cars and period accurate set dressing, and even made an appearance in the film as the man behind Dio’s famous ‘Holy Diver’ Album cover illustration, the elusive Gene Hunter! See the exclusive clips below!

Ronnie James Dio’s story transcends the standard rock documentary. Beautifully highlighting both his powerful voice and his gentle heart, “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” delves deep into the singer’s incredible rise from ’50s doo-wop crooner to his early rock days in Elf and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, to replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, and finally cementing his rockstar status with his own band, DIO. The first documentary to be authorized by the artist’s estate, the film incorporates never-before-seen footage and personal photos from Dio’s archives as well as offering intimate scenes with his closest peers, family, and friends, among them Wendy Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk and Jack Black, as they bring viewers inside the life of one of the most beloved figures in rock.    

The movie had its world premiere at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival, and opened to rave reviews and a 100% Rating on Rotten Tomatoes in theaters worldwide as a special two-night event on September 28th and October 2nd! More info on the release to come! Stay tuned at www.diodreamersneverdie.com