Hollywood loves history, and every now and then it just seems like we’re due for a new attempt at a sweeping historical epic. The likes of Braveheart, Gladiator, and Troy have done the genre proud over the past few decades, even if we’ve seen our share of epic flops as well. But there hasn’t been a truly memorable historical epic in quite some time, and it’s beginning to seem like the movie industry is overdue for a new historical hit.
One chapter of history that seems particularly ripe is the Viking era. There just isn’t a definitive cinematic Viking epic, and the argument can be made that public interest in this fascinating time period is at an all-time high.
This is largely due to the success of the History Channel’s surprise hit series, Vikings. Despite debuting in the shadow of Game Of Thrones, and on a network not particularly well known for fictional dramas, Vikings has found a great deal of success. The show depicts the adventurous, brutal, and action-packed life of Ragnar Lothbrook, an ambitious young man in a world of Viking kings and armies. The aggregate rating at Rotten Tomatoes for the show’s four seasons is above 90 percent, indicating that it has enjoyed staying power with audiences. Those same audiences would likely eat up a cinematic Viking tale, even if it had little or nothing to do with the show.
Viking themes have also become more prominent in gaming lately, in part through games like Clash Of Clans (which vaguely hints at Viking culture with a Scottish twist), but also through more direct examples. A game called Viking Mania is featured as one of the many slot gaming titles at Betfair, which often tend to represent some of the more popular trends in gaming. Other examples at the same site include titles relating to Marvel, professional soccer, Sherlock Holmes, and Jurassic Park, to name a few. Viking Mania offers a cartoonish take on the Viking age, but still demonstrates the continued appeal of these types of characters.
A more realistic take on Vikings in the gaming world is also set to emerge in 2017 with the release of For Honor. Set to become one of the latest installments in Ubisoft’s game lineup, For Honor involves knights, samurai, and Vikings in a mash-up brawling experience spread out across various chapters from history. Players will have the chance to control mighty Viking characters as they hack and slash their way through a number of violent challenges.
Viking culture and adventures are fairly mainstream at the moment, which could mean that there’s already an established fan base for a potential film. There are actually some rumors about just such a movie. According to Slash Film, Leonardo DiCaprio is circling a number of major projects for the coming years, and one of them—thought to be titled Ruthless—might be a Viking epic. The belief is that it is a new version of King Harald, a legendary 11th century Viking king.
The stage is set for this genre to move to cinema screens in a big way, regardless of whether or not we wind up with a King Harald biopic in the future. Let’s hope it happens soon.
