Universal says it already paid for the Viking ship in The Odyssey

Universal says it has paid every invoice connected to the Swedish Viking ship used in The Odyssey, rejecting claims from its owners that the studio failed to cover repairs after filming. The two sides have since resumed contact, but it remains unclear whether the disputed payment had already been transferred or will now be processed.

The replica vessel Glad av Gillberga, owned by the non-profit association Föreningen Vikingaleden in Sweden’s Värmland region, spent more than six months working on Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s epic.

After the ship returned to Nysäter, volunteers repaired a crack in its hull, replaced parts of the rigging and repainted the vessel. The association invoiced the production for $6,000, around SEK 58,000, covering materials but not the unpaid labour carried out by its members.

Association chair Peter Olausson said the rental fee had been paid, but the separate repair invoice had not appeared in the organisation’s account.

Universal says all Viking ship invoices were paid

Universal has now publicly rejected the association’s account.

“Our records show that all invoices relating to Glad av Gillberga have been paid in full, including repairs,” a Universal representative said in a statement reported by several international media outlets.

“The studio and the production have contacted the association to clear up any misunderstanding.”

The statement creates a direct conflict between the studio’s financial records and the association’s account. Universal maintains that no invoice remains outstanding, while Olausson has said Vikingaleden received payment only for renting the ship.

The association had previously struggled to obtain a response from the production. According to Olausson, correspondence stopped during the winter despite repeated attempts to clarify the status of the repair costs.

“It is uncomfortable that a large film company is leaving a non-profit association to cover costs that the company had agreed to pay,” he told SVT before Universal issued its response.

“For the film company, it is coffee money, but for us it is a significant amount.”

Vikingaleden and Universal resume contact

The dispute may now be moving towards a resolution. After the case attracted coverage in Sweden and abroad, Universal contacted Vikingaleden directly.

Olausson told SVT on 25 July that he had spoken with the studio and was confident the issue would be resolved. The association reportedly submitted the repair invoice again, while Universal indicated that the payment would be handled.

The development leaves some uncertainty around Universal’s initial statement. If all invoices had already been paid, it is unclear why Vikingaleden had not received the money or why the repair invoice needed to be submitted again.

Neither side has published payment records, invoice numbers or transaction dates that could independently establish what happened.

For the moment, the disagreement appears to concern the administration of the invoice rather than responsibility for the repairs. Both sides agree that the production was expected to cover damage beyond ordinary wear and tear.

A small Swedish ship in a major production

Glad av Gillberga appeared as one of the vessels accompanying Odysseus’ fleet in The Odyssey. The ship is a 17.5-metre reconstruction inspired by a Viking-era wreck found in Denmark’s Roskilde Fjord.

Vikingaleden normally uses it for educational activities, tourism and events at its Viking centre in Nysäter. The organisation has around 200 members and relies heavily on voluntary work.

The association completed the repairs itself to limit costs. It did not charge Universal for the hours spent restoring the hull, rigging and other damaged components.

The amount under dispute is small compared with the scale of Nolan’s production. The Odyssey earned approximately $346 million worldwide during its first week in cinemas, according to figures reported by SVT.

The disagreement has therefore drawn attention not only because of the ship’s role in the film, but because of the imbalance between a major Hollywood studio and a volunteer-run cultural association in rural Sweden.

The latest contact suggests the financial dispute may soon end. However, until Vikingaleden confirms that the repair money has reached its account, the question of whether Universal had already paid remains unresolved.