A Swedish Viking ship featured in The Odyssey is still awaiting compensation from Universal Pictures for damage sustained during the production of Christopher Nolan’s film. The non-profit association that owns the vessel says the studio has stopped responding despite an agreement to cover repair costs.
The ship, Glad av Gillberga, belongs to Föreningen Vikingaleden, an association based in Nysäter in Sweden’s western Värmland region. It was rented to the production for more than six months and transported between filming locations in the Mediterranean.
When the vessel returned to Sweden, it remained largely intact but required repairs to its frame, stern and rigging. The association says some equipment was also missing.
Swedish Viking ship owners seek €5,200 payment
According to Föreningen Vikingaleden, the rental agreement required the production company to pay both the agreed fee and the costs of repairing damage connected to filming.
The association subsequently issued an invoice for $6,000, equivalent to around SEK 58,000 (€5,200). The amount covers only the materials used in the repairs, as members completed the restoration work without charging for their labour.
However, the association says the invoice remains unpaid.
“For a film company, this is coffee money, but for us it is a significant amount,” Peter Olausson, chair of Föreningen Vikingaleden, told Swedish media.
Olausson said the association had previously corresponded with the company but had received no replies to its emails since the winter. SVT Nyheter Värmland also contacted Universal Pictures in Sweden but had not received a response at the time of publication.
The association has approximately 200 members and operates a Viking centre, museum and reconstructed historical environment. Olausson said its limited financial resources made legal action against a major international film company difficult.
Glad av Gillberga returned with damaged parts
Glad av Gillberga is a historically inspired reconstruction based on a Viking ship discovered in Denmark’s Roskilde Fjord. The vessel was built using traditional methods where possible and has sailed in the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and across the Atlantic to Canada.
After its return from the film production, volunteers replaced damaged structural elements and carried out repairs to the stern and rigging. Some smaller defects remain, but the vessel has returned to service.
The ship was expected to take part in rowing activities during the annual Vikingating event in Nysäter on 25 and 26 July.
Olausson said the association remained proud that Glad av Gillberga had appeared in an international production. He identified the vessel in around ten scenes, where it served as one of the ships accompanying Odysseus’ fleet.
The organisation’s dispute concerns the additional costs rather than the ship’s original rental payment.
Nordic Viking replicas became ancient Greek ships
Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic relied on several Nordic ship reconstructions to depict vessels from ancient Greece. While the cultures and periods were different, the filmmakers considered Viking-style vessels suitable models for the open wooden ships described in the story.
The main vessel used for Odysseus’ ship was Draken Harald Hårfagre, a 35-metre Norwegian Viking ship reconstruction based in Haugesund. Its crew spent six months working around Greek and Italian islands.
Before filming, the ship was modified to remove modern features and create the appearance of an ancient Greek vessel. Around 30 crew members also appeared as extras.
Glad av Gillberga formed part of the wider flotilla. Its involvement illustrates how small Nordic cultural associations and volunteer-run heritage projects can supply specialised resources to major international productions.
The unpaid repair invoice has now placed that cooperation under scrutiny. For Föreningen Vikingaleden, the amount represents a material expense even though it remains marginal within the budget of a Hollywood film. The association says it will continue seeking the compensation promised under the agreement.
