Sunday, August 19, 2012

HOLLYWOOD SPY SPOTLIGHT ON "VIKING" EPIC SERIES FROM "THE TUDORS" MICHAEL HIRST WITH TRAVIS FIMMEL, GABRIEL BYRNE, CLIVE STANDEN, KATHERYN WINNICK

Well, great news my epic shows lovers! One of our favourite writers of period set series, Michael Hirst, has started shooting new period set series VIKINGS over in lovely Ireland. Let us keep our fingers crossed that it will have the quality of Hirst's legendary show THE TUDORS and his amazing films ELIZABETH and ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN AGE and not of that horrid CAMELOT which flopped big time last year at Starz. VIKINGS will chronicle the world of the Norsemen during medieval times and will be aired sometime next year at History Channel as their first scripted series and it will have ten episodes with budget of E30 million.
VIKING STORY
VIKINGS will be a series high on adventure, exploration, conflict, warfare and bloodshed, for these were extreme times, but, at its heart, it will also be a family saga.
It follows the adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok, a historical figure, and the greatest hero of his age, and the gripping sagas of Ragnar’s band of Viking brothers and his family, as he rises to become King of the Viking tribes. Ragnar Lothbrok  is based upon the real-life Viking leader who literally exploded out of Scandanavia and onto the world stage in the 8th Century. A young Norwegian farmer with a wife and family, Ragnar is deeply frustrated by the unadventurous policies of his local chieftan, Earl Haraldson, who continues to send his Vikings raiders east every summer, to the Baltic states and Russia, whose populations are as materially poor as themselves. Lagertha is the first wife of Ragnar’s and
their marriage is a love-match. Ragnar was first attracted to Lagertha when she came to fight for a local Norwegian ruler against an invading Sweden. Floki, based partly on the Norse god Loki, is an impish character and ship builder who designs and builds the prototype of the new generation of Viking ships which can sail across the open ocean but also up the shallowest of rivers. He is a design genius and he allows Ragnar to fulfill his dreams of sailing west and discovering new lands and new civilizations. Siggy is Earl Haraldson’s beautiful wife and an enigmatic character. She performs her duties impeccably and with style, but she may not be completely loyal to
her husband. Rollo is Ragnar’s cousin and initially one of his closest friends, involved in his early raids. But soon becomes jealous of his fame and success.
VIKING CAST
Swedish director Johan Renck will helm the first three episodes of VIKINGS with Ireland’s Ciaran Donnelly ("The Tudors") and Ken Girotti
("Rescue Me") to take the reigns of the second and third block of episodes respectively. Travis Fimmel ("The Beast", "Baytown Outlaws") will play the lead role of Ragnar, the first great Viking leader, a man of both history and myth, Jessalyn Gilsig ("Glee", "Heroes", "CSI: NY", "Nip/Tuck", "Friday Night Lights") will appear as Siggy, Earl Haraldson’s beautiful wife, Gustaf Skarsgard ("The Way Back") as Floki, a close friend of Ragnar’s who is an eccentric jokester yet an inventive, creative boat-builder, Clive Standen ("Camelot", "Robin Hood") as Rollo, Ragnar’s excessive, cruel cousin, and Katheryn Winnick ("Stand Up Guys", "Bones", "Love and Other Drugs") as Lagertha, Ragnar’s first
wife and famous shield maiden who often fights alongside him. They all join Golden Globe Award winner and Emmy Award nominated actor Gabriel Byrne ("Usual Suspects", "Millers Crossing") who will portray Earl Haraldson, the most important local ruler in Ragnar’s district, and George Blagden ("Les Miserables", "Wrath of the Titans") who will play Athelstan, an Anglo-Saxon monk captured by Ragnar on his first raid on England. Irish actors Eric Higgins ("The Tudors") as warrior Knut and Gerard McCarthy ("The Fall") as Bronsted have also landed roles. The costumes will be done by amazing Joan Bergin who made costumes in THE TUDORS, CAMELOT, REIGN OF FIRE.
VIKING TIDBITS
Unlike past movies and dramas that caricatured them as barbarians VIKINGS will not look at Viking culture from the outside, but from within the heart
of Viking society. It will be a series high on adventure, exploration, conflict, warfare and bloodshed — for these were extreme times — but, at its heart, it will also be a family saga. The show will boast a polished, stylized look that pushes the boundaries of television drama. Imaginatively choreographed battles will emphasize individual points of view, strategies and ruses rather than mindless, graphic slaughter. Fast-paced battle sequences will be balanced against the astonishing beauty of the fjords and Viking longboats, works of art on a bloody canvas.

28 comments:

  1. I am so in love with this series already. I love Travis Fimmel and haven't seen him in a while. My sister has taught me a lot about Viking culture as she is working on a huge historical epic centered on the Norsemen. Needless to say we are definitely going to be watching this. Awesome spotlight!

    BTW my internet is out so my posting and commenting is sporadic and I may miss a post or two. I'm using a friend's computer right now.

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    1. The picture I used of Travis is an old one, he is much bigger now, and very hunky and hulky :)
      Hope you get the net fixed soon, Melsy!

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  2. Did I read that right? History Channel is doing the mini-series? Fantastic!! That means it will be done with accuracy - I've always been fascinated with vikings and their culture and it seems like they are really delving into the heart of it, not just the hack and slash aspect of it. I can't wait for this one, I'll be keeping an eye out for sure!

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    1. yep, I was surprised to hear History is doing it :) It will also be distributed around the world if I got it right.
      It should be a huge fun, since we haven't really had Viking shows on TV before.

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  3. I read a history of Vikings once that said they were so feared, not because they were more savage than other types of raiders, but because they would also raid and destroy Christian monasteries. Savage European raiders were nominally Christian too so would respect monasteries and leave them alone. Vikings were pagans and regarded monasteries as fair game.

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    1. It's possible, that's why most people feared Moslem invaders and raiders too, especially in my regions where they even today have a habit of claiming Christian churches and monasteries as their own.

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  4. Wowzer! Sounds fantastic. And what a bunch of good looking Vikings. :)

    Really looking forward to this one, especially if it's from the same people who did The Tudors. You know it will be a lusty Viking village. :))

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    1. oh, yes, we're hoping for some Viking lust too :)

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    2. Ooh, and be sure to post character photos when they get into production. I want to see their costumes and sets.

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    3. I will be among the first ones to do it :) Can't wait, although I don't think that will be this year or any time soon since the production has just started. Currently waiting for DA VINCI DEMONS pics or photos.

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  5. I won't be watching as it was these feckers that came over and slaughtered my people, seeing us as "easy picking" And it looks like the History channel is going to be sympathetic to the bastards. Oh yes, they were human and they had families, but they were evil and eventually we drove them from our shores. Time and time again we drove them from our shores. Just another bunch of thieving bastards who came to my country to try and take it from us.

    I hope they are accurate and show how they slaughtered our monks and I hope they're even more accurate and show hour our own King Brian Boru drives the feckers off once and for all.

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    1. ah, yes, today's film and shows often put a glamorous spin on some things that were clearly savage and brute. It happened with THE TUDORS as well, Henry was portrayed as cool and glamorous although he was a religious tyrant and a self-centred prick :)
      I'm proud of the Irish people who managed to chase away Vikings off their shores. We did the same with the Turks after 500 centuries of fight.

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    2. They did clean up old Henry didn't they. And there was no way he was that good looking either. Sorry for my outburst, sometimes I forget I'm not back home and just blurt out what I'm thinking. My family is well known for this particular trait and everyone just puts up with us!

      I just don't understand why so many countries over the centuries have felt the need to come in and take what little the Irish and the Serbs have. I wonder if you look down on us from a satellite you'll see the words "kick me" engraved across our countries. Those Turks were a nasty lot and vicious too.


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    3. he was athletic in his youth and then ugly as hell later on :)
      I've no idea, darling. My country has an extremely important strategical position so that's why we've always been a target for invaders and evil powers.

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  6. Looks really interesting actually. And not an overplayed theme, count me in!

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  7. Ehhh.... Why does this sound like Game of Thrones so much...?

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    1. it doesn't sound to me like that at all, it must be only you.

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  8. Look at those gorgeous Vikings! :D

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  9. Love Travis Fimmel,I cant wait to see it!!!!Hes so beautiful and a great actor...And I love that kind of stories....


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    1. and he buffed up lately so he looks bigger than in this pic of mine :)

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  10. This is the best blog post I HAVE EVER seen. I'm looking through it again, even as I write this. Boy Dezzy, you sure have a way...with...words. I'm speechless.

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    1. oh, Mikey, I was worried for days that you might miss this post on blonde gods :) My fears have calmed down a bit now.....

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  11. The History Channel and hot, blond Vikings? I'm so watching this! :D Thanks for the news Dezzy!

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