The show-runner on the new Vikings spin-off on Netflix has paid homage to the film industry in Ireland and said making the big-budget series here was a “joy.”
Jeb Stuart, who helped devise and write ‘Vikings: Valhalla’, has paid tribute to the cast and crew members who worked on the production.
Like its predecessor created by Emmy-winner Michael Hirst which ran for six series, most of the Netflix action series was filmed around Wicklow beauty spots.
These included Lugalla Estate, Childer’s Woods and Lough Tay and will soon showcase the island to a global audience when the series debuts on February 25.
“Shooting in Ireland is a joy,” said Stuart.
“It’s one of the greatest film communities in the world. The talent here is deep. It’s rich. It’s got a wonderful history. The pride of the people that I work with makes it a joy to come to work every day. There’s a sense of community here. You can get phenomenal shots in Ireland that you can’t get in many other places around the world.”
The eight-part show is set in the 11th Century and centres around three key new characters who are all based on real historical figures and actual events.
This includes Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), the famous Viking explorer who was among the first Europeans to set foot in North America and his sister, the warrior Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson).
Stuart, who wrote the ‘Die Hard’ screenplay, said setting it in 1002 gave him a “really good starting point to get the ball rolling.”
Hirst, who wrote all 89 episodes of the original series made by the History Channel, is also on board the new project as a co-creator.
“We return to familiar settings like Kattegat and also explore entirely new settings and lands.
“The story this season starts with a particular historical event that happened in 1002, over 100 years after the end of the original Vikings show,” said Stuart.
“We’ve been lucky to have so many creative minds from the original show return for Valhalla — from our producers to many of our crew.
“I think original fans of the Vikings show will find a lot of key elements that are similar; the accuracy, the depth of the characters, the suspense, the terrific action.”
The idea for the spin-off first came about three years ago after Stuart was contacted by Irish executive producer Morgan O’Sullivan.
“I also knew Michael Hirst, the creator and writer of Vikings. They both made it clear that they didn’t want to do a seventh season of the previous show, but that they wanted to push the story into the future and asked me to figure out a home for that narrative. That’s where the process started,” he said.
The show enlisted the help of historical consultant Justin Pollard to help flesh out some of the details. But Stuart said he also immersed himself in anything relating to the Vikings, who left no written history of their exploits.
“I began absorbing everything I could get my hands on. We don’t know a whole lot about the original Vikings — they didn’t have a written language, so the documentation is tricky,” he said.
“They left us the sagas, but the sagas were written 200 years after the end of this story and they were written by Christians. We know archeologically what has been dug up but we’re still discovering new things about Viking culture.
“Ultimately, we’ve made an authentic show. Sometimes we’ve moved dates or characters around a bit, but the historical pieces are all there.”
‘Vikings: Valhalla’ will premiere on Netflix on February 25.
News courtesy: Independent.ie