Introduction

Vikings: Valhalla is a historical drama streaming television series created by Jeb Stuart for Netflix. It is a sequel to the History’s Vikings, filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Set one hundred years after the events of Vikings, the series chronicles the beginning of the end of the Viking Age, marked by the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.

Series 01 premiered on Netflix on 25 February 2022, series 02 on 12 January 2023, and series 03 set to air in 2024.

Outline

Set one hundred years after the events of Vikings, as tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach a bloody breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian and Pagan beliefs. Leif Erikson, Freydís Eiríksdóttir and Harald Hardrada begin an epic journey that will take them across oceans and through battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond, as they fight for survival and glory. The series shows the end of the Viking Age, marked by the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066.

Cast

• Main:
  • Sam Corlett as Leif Erikson, an explorer from Greenland
  • Frida Gustavsson as Freydís Eiríksdóttir, Leif’s sister
  • Leo Suter as Harald Hardrada
  • Bradley Freegard as King Canute “the Great”
  • Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Olaf Haraldsson (season 1-2)
  • Caroline Henderson as Jarl Haakon (season 1)
  • Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy
  • David Oakes as Earl Godwin

• Recurring:
  • Lujza Richter as Liv (season 1; guest season 2)
  • Álfrún Laufeyjardóttir as Yrsa (season 1)
  • Edward Franklin as Skarde (season 1)
  • Gavan O’Connor-Duffy as Njal (season 1)
  • Christopher Rygh as Agnarr
  • Kenneth M. Christensen as Jarl Norí (season 1)
  • Pääru Oja as Arne Gormsson (season 1)
  • James Ballanger as Hallbjorn (seasons 1–2)
  • Louis Davison as Prince Edmund (season 1)
  • Gavin Drea as Eadric Streona (season 1)
  • Asbjørn Krogh Nissen as Jarl Kåre (season 1)
  • Pollyanna McIntosh as Queen Ælfgifu
  • Henessi Schmidt as Gytha (season 2; guest season 1)
  • Charlie O’Connor as Svein Knutsson (season 2; guest season 1)
  • Stanislav Callas as Jorundr Torvilsson (season 2)
  • Maria Guiver as Aelfwynn (season 2)
  • Emily Mcentire as Hrefna (season 2)
  • Aoibhinn McGinnity as Valgerda (season 2)
  • Bradley James as Lord Harekr (season 2)
  • Yngvild Støen Grotmol as Lady Gudrid (season 2)
  • Patrick Loftus as Kolr (season 2)
  • Hayat Kamille as Mariam (season 2)
  • Taylor James as Batu (season 2)
  • Kayode Akinyemi as Kaysan (season 2)
  • Sofya Lebedeva as Eleana (season 2)
  • Tolga Safer as Kurya (season 2)
  • Ailbe Cowley as Brigtoc (season 2)
  • Siobhán Callaghan as Cadlin (season 2)
  • Elaenor McLynn as Dorn (season 2)
  • Florian Munteanu as George Maniakes (season 3)
  • Goran Visnjic as Erik the Red (season 3)
  • Joakim Nätterqvist as Birkir (season 3)

• Guest:
  • Bosco Hogan as King Aethelred II (season 1)
  • Wolfgang Cerny as Sten Sigurdsson (season 1)
  • Jack Mullarkey as Toke (season 1)
  • Sam Stafford as Ulf (season 1)
  • Frank Blake as Birger (season 1)
  • Leifur Sigurðarson as Gunnar Magnússon (season 1)
  • Julian Seager as Jarl Gorm (season 1)
  • Bill Murphy as Øgda (season 1)
  • John Kavanagh as The Seer
  • Annabelle Mandeng as Altöra (season 1)
  • Søren Pilmark as King Sweyn Forkbeard
  • Ruben Lawless as Harald Harefoot
  • Stephen Hogan as Sigeferth (season 1)
  • Jack Hickey as Richard II, Duke of Normandy (season 1)
  • Owen J. Barton as Osparkr (season 2)
  • Barry Calvert as Thorgills (season 2)
  • Stefán Haukur Jóhannesson as Magnus Olafsson (season 2)
  • Marcin Dorociński as Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise (season 2)
  • Steven Brand as Lord Vitomir (season 2)
  • Eigil Hedegaard as Gestr (season 2)
  • Dan Poole as Baggi (season 2)
  • Uriel Emil as Tyrach (season 2)
  • Stany Coppet as The Khan of the Pechenegs (season 2)
  • Nikolai Kinski as Emperor Romanos (season 2)

Production

Development

On 04 January 2019, alongside the announcement that Vikings would end after its sixth season, it was announced that Michael Hirst and MGM Television were developing a spin-off series with writer Jeb Stuart. On 19 November 2019, it was announced that this series, titled Vikings: Valhalla, would take place a century after the end of the original series and would be released on Netflix. The 24-episode series was made by MGM Television, and filmed primarily in Ireland, working from the same Ashford Studios in County Wicklow. The series focuses “on the adventures of Leif Erikson, Freydis, Harald Hardrada and the Norman king William the Conqueror”.

On 09 March 2022, the series was officially renewed for a second and third season. On 21 November 2022, it was announced that the second season would premiere on 12 January 2023. The third season is set to premiere in 2024.

Casting

On 28 November 2020, it was reported by one news outlet that they believe Danish actor Kenneth Christensen, Icelandic actor Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Swedish actress Frida Gustavsson, and David Oakes had been cast in the series. Frida Gustavsson was later revealed to have been cast as Freydís Eiríksdóttir, while Jóhannes Haukur had been cast as Olaf “the Holy” through erroneously earlier reports stated that he had been cast as Harald Hardrada, a part given to Leo Suter. Caroline Henderson was cast as the current ruler of Kattegat Jarl Haakon, a character based on Canute the Great’s vassal ruler Haakon Ericsson. Bradley Freegard was cast as Canute the Great and Pollyanna McIntosh as his wife Ælfgifu. Sam Corlett was cast as Leif Eriksson.

Other actors include German actress Yvonne Mai has been cast as Merin, and Bill Murphy has been cast as Ödger. Irish actors Alan Devine has been cast as the Ealdorman of Kent and Gavin O’Connor will portray the Ealdorman of East Anglia. Devine and Bosco Hogan have previously appeared in Vikings as Ealdorman Eadric in the second season and Abbot of Lindisfarne in the fifth season, respectively. Jack Mullarkey has been cast as a character named Toke. Joakim Nätterqvist will portray Birkir, and Ethan Dillon was cast as Vestian.

New cast members for the second season include: Bradley James as Harekr, Hayat Kamille as Mariam, Marcin Dorocinski as Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, Sofya Lebedeva as Eleana and Nikolai Kinski as Emperor Romanos.

Writers

Showrunner Jeb Stuart’s writing team includes Vanessa Alexander, Declan Croghan and Eoin McNamee. The first episode was directed by Niels Arden Oplev.

Filming

Vikings: Valhalla started filming in early October 2020 at Ashford Studios, Wicklow, where previous Vikings was filmed. Shooting was suspended due to a number of positive COVID-19 tests, only to resume after a few days. At the time a number of cast and crew were reported to have tested positive; however, it emerged that the production had received a number of false positive tests. Filming was planned to resume at Ashford Studios in Ireland beginning in August 2021.

Production on the second season wrapped in November 2021. Directors include the BAFTA-winning Danish director Niels Arden Oplev, Steve Saint Leger who directed several episodes of Vikings and Hannah Quinn.

Production on the third season began in May 2022 and wrapped in October 2022.

Music

The musical score for the first season was composed by the Trevor Morris. Amalie Bruun of Myrkur provided the kulning vocals for the opening credits. The series also made heavy use of music from the album The Word as Power by Lustmord, which was also featured in Season 6 of Vikings.

Release

Accolades

The show was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode at the 21st Visual Effects Society Awards.

Trivia

• Official sources states that the series takes place a 100 years after the events of the original Vikings (2013). However the original Vikings takes place in the late 790’s and early 800’s, indicated by several title cards in season 1 and 2.
  • Canute the Great’s invasion of England (confirmed by multiple first hand sources) took place in the 1010’s, making it closer to 200 years later.
• According to the sagas, Harald Sigurdsson was the descendant of Haraldr inn Hárfagri who appears in Vikings (2013) as Harald Finehair.
  • Jarl Haakon is said to be the descendant of the jarls of Lade, a Trondheim clan, Harald’s allies turned rivals of Harald’s descendants.
• The historical Jarl Haakon was in fact a man, and in the series he is played by a woman.
• The series dramatises many of the same historical events and personalities as the critically acclaimed anime Vinland Saga (2019).
• The series does not explain how Norway came under the rule of the Danish king.
  • The historical background to this was that Sweyn Forkbeard (Søren Pilmark) had defeated and killed the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason who was the great grandson of Harald Finehair.
  • Afterward Sweyn had instated Olaf’s Norwegian enemy Eirik jarl and his sons Svein and Hákon as the vassal rulers.
  • The family roughly corresponds to jarl Haakon (Caroline Henderson) of the show.
  • Olaf Tryggvason had also launched a devastating viking attack on England which was one of the raids which drove Aethelred II to order the St. Brice’s Day Massacre.
  • Olaf Tryggvason was also the godfather of Olaf Haraldsson.
• Harald Finehair had many children. So many in fact that Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter) and Olaf Haraldsson (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) were both of his descendants, not by their shared mother as one might expect but by their different fathers who were descendants of different sons of Harald Finehair.

Vikings Series

• Series 01 (2022):
  • Episode 01: Greenlanders.
  • Episode 02: Viking.
  • Episode 03: The Marshes.
  • Episode 04: The Bridge.
  • Episode 05: Miracle.
  • Episode 06: The Last Daughter of Uppsala.
  • Episode 07: Choices.
  • Episode 08: The End of the Beginning.

• Series 02 (2023):
  • Episode 01: The Web of Fate.
  • Episode 02: Towers of Faith.
  • Episode 03: Pieces of the Gods.
  • Episode 04: The Thaw.
  • Episode 05: Birth and Rebirth.
  • Episode 06: Leap of Faith.
  • Episode 07: Pecheneg.
  • Episode 08: The Reckoning.

• Series 03 (2024):
  • Episode 01:
  • Episode 02:
  • Episode 03:
  • Episode 04:
  • Episode 05:
  • Episode 06:
  • Episode 07:
  • Episode 08:

You can find a full index and overview of Vikings here.

Production & Filming Details

• Director(s):
  • Hannah Quinn … (4 episodes, 2022)
  • David Frazee … (3 episodes, 2022-2024)
  • Steve Saint Leger … (3 episodes, 2022)
  • Emer Conroy … (2 episodes, 2023)
  • Ciaran Donnelly … (2 episodes, 2023)
  • Jan Matthys … (2 episodes, 2023)
  • Monika Mitchell … (2 episodes, 2023)
  • Niels Arden Oplev … (1 episode, 2022)
• Producer(s):
  • James Flynn … executive producer (18 episodes, 2022-2024)
  • Sherry Marsh … executive producer (17 episodes, 2022-2024)
  • Mark Murdoch … producer (17 episodes, 2022-2024)
  • Jane McNally … line producer (16 episodes, 2022-2023)
  • Paul Buccieri … executive producer (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Donal Geraghty … associate producer (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Liz Gill … co-producer (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Sheila Hockin … executive producer (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Nick Iannelli … co-producer (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Steve Stark … executive producer (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Vanessa Alexander … co-executive producer (8 episodes, 2023)
  • John Weber … executive producer (1 episode, 2022)
  • Alan Gasmer … executive producer (2020) (unknown episodes)
  • Michael Hirst … executive producer (unknown episodes)
  • Morgan O’Sullivan … executive producer (unknown episodes)
  • Jeb Stuart … executive producer (unknown episodes)
• Writer(s):
  • Jeb Stuart … (created by) (8 episodes, 2022)
  • Vanessa Alexander … (4 episodes, 2022-2023)
  • Vanessa Alexander … (written by) (2 episodes, 2022)
  • Declan Croghan … (written by) (3 episodes, 2022-2023)
  • Eoin McNamee … (written by) (2 episodes, 2022-2023)
  • Michael Hirst … (based on the series Vikings created by) (2 episodes, 2022)
  • Niall Queenan … (writer) (2 episodes, 2023)
• Music:
  • Trevor Morris … (8 episodes, 2022)
• Cinematography:
  • Peter Robertson … (8 episodes, 2022)
• Editor(s):
  • Roslyn Kalloo … (2 episodes, 2022)
  • Lauren Brandon … (1 episode, 2023)
• Production:
  • MGM Television
  • MGM/UA Television.
  • Metropolitan Films International.
• Distributor(s):
  • MGM Television (2022) (World-wide) (all media).
  • Netflix (2022) (World-wide) (video) (VOD).
• Release Date:
  • Series 01: 25 February 2022.
  • Series 02: 12 January 2023.
  • Series 03: 2024.
• Running time: 51 minutes (per episode).
• Rating: 15.
• Country: US
• Language: English.

Video Link