It has been just over a year since Michael Hirst’s hit series Vikings wrapped up after six incredible seasons and for the lucky fans of the show, a spin-off series was already in the works. Vikings: Valhalla was already in the pipeline three years ago and finally, after a filming setback, the dawn of a new era of Viking content is upon us.
Vikings: Valhalla is being brought to our screens by Die Hard writer Jeb Stuart, with some input from the original show’s leading writer Michael Hirst. Giving Stuart the opportunity to create a major historical drama series may seem a little odd for a man associated with action movies, however, let us not forget that Stuart is the creator of some of the greatest action movies of all time (and, of course, one of the best Christmas movies of all time). Stuart himself wrote in a fan letter on Den of Geek that he couldn’t deny the show would fit his profile as a creator - “fast paced, big in character-driven action, with twists and turns in every story”. So, we can relax in the knowledge that Vikings: Valhalla will be an absolute spectacle. Here's how you can watch the show.
What Is Vikings: Valhalla About?
While the show is set just over a century after the end of Vikings Season 6, Michael Hirst has openly set the record straight: Vikings: Valhalla is a separate entity to the show Vikings, despite it technically being a spin-off of the original saga. Jeb Stuart stated that it is meant to live alongside the previous series. So, bear this in mind before you dive into the show.
We can expect some subtle connections to the past with many of the same locations being used as in the original series, and we have the familiar set of Kattegat. Hirst has spoken of Stuart's work, commenting that he harks back to the times of Ragnar Lothbrok, Lagertha, Bjorn Ironside, and Ivar the Boneless, however so much time has passed that it is only in the sense of mythic legends. That means no flashbacks, we're afraid.
Now to the plot itself, the official Netflix synopsis reads as follows:
"Set over a thousand years ago in the early 11th century, Vikings Valhalla chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived. The legendary explorer Leif Eriksson, his fiery and headstrong sister Freydis Eriksdotter and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson. 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, these three Vikings 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."
Given the setting is 11th Century England, we are approaching the ultimate battle for England in 1066, where there will be four claimants to the throne: Harold Godwin the Earl of Wessex, William Duke of Normandy, Harald Sigurdsson/Hardrada the King of Norway, and Edgar Atheling the last in the royal line of Wessex. Though we don’t expect to see all these characters in the first few episodes, let alone the first season. This leaves the Vikings and the English teetering on the edge of a violent war. A side plot that will also be explored includes some of the religious ramifications that we saw in Vikings with Viking infighting over their conflicting Christian and Pagan beliefs.
Where and When Can You Watch Vikings: Valhalla?
The show, like its predecessor, has been produced by MGM productions, however, it is set to premiere exclusively on Netflix on February 25, 2022. If you are based in the US, Netflix releases generally become available starting from Midnight Pacific Time, however, I’m afraid British viewers will have to wait until 8 am. It is so far unclear whether all the episodes will arrive at once but as we are expecting a “premiere”, we can assume that if they don’t all drop at once, we will probably receive new episodes weekly, much like with the original series. There are eight episodes due in total for this season. 24 episodes have been ordered, so we can presume that we are going to see at least three seasons of the show.
In the meantime, you can watch the official trailer here:
If you would like to watch or rewatch the Vikings series, you can find all 89 episodes on Prime Video or Hulu. It has been announced that the show will eventually come to Netflix, but not until at least 2024.
Who Have Been Cast as the Main Characters in Vikings: Valhalla?
Leif Eriksson, a Pagan explorer who sails to Kattegat with his sister, Freydis Eriksdotter, from Greenland is set to be potentially the main character of the first season. The two are a ferocious inspiration to the Vikings and their old traditions when they arrive in Kattegat. We see Freydis training amongst the Shieldmaidens in the trailer, and there are plenty of bloody clips of Leif wielding his own weapons and reshaping the Viking community. So, who has been cast to play these powerful figures of history?
Firstly, we have Sam Corlett as Leif, a relative newcomer to the acting sphere, known so far for his role in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. We imagine however, this might propel him further into the spotlight. Secondly, Frida Gustavsson, who is a Swedish model and another relatively fresh-faced actor, will be playing Freydis. She has previously had a brief role in The Witcher as Geralt’s mother, Visenna.
Netflix also mentions the “ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson”, better known as Harald Hardrada (or hard ruler), who is set to be the uniting and driving force of the Viking invasion of England and the Viking claim to the throne. This role will be played by Leo Suter, who we have seen as Captain Bill Lauder in another Netflix original created by Jeb Stuart, The Liberator.
Other key characters include Bradley Freegard as King Canute, Johannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Olaf Haraldson (the older half-brother of Harald Sigurdsson), Laura Berlin as Emma of Normandy, and David Oakes as Earl Goodwin. As previously mentioned, there are still some key players such as William Duke of Normandy and Edgar Atheling whose casting has not yet been announced so keep your eyes peeled.
Do You Need to Watch Vikings Before Valhalla?
As mentioned above, the two shows are independent, and you absolutely don’t need to have watched Vikings to watch Vikings: Valhalla (it is an excellent watch though). That said, both series grip loosely to the history of the Vikings, and it could be useful to have a basic idea of how the Vikings and the English have been interacting prior to getting stuck into Vikings: Valhalla. We are sure that Jeb Stuart won’t leave you struggling to understand the plot with his credentials, so we will leave that up to you. Google at your own risk, history holds a whole load of spoilers.