The replica Viking ship used in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey has become the subject of a dispute between its Swedish owners and Universal Pictures over who should pay for repairs after filming.
The nonprofit Värmlands Vikingacenter says its 17.5-meter replica warship, Glad av Gillberga, returned from production in need of repairs including a cracked hull and damaged rigging. According to The New York Times, the organization invoiced Universal roughly $6,000 for repair materials, but says the bill remains unpaid. The center says it did not charge for labor.
Universal has a different version.
“Our records show that all invoices relating to the Glad av Gillberga were paid in full, including repairs,” a studio spokesperson told The Times. “The studio and the production have contacted the association to clear up any misunderstanding.”
The vessel was hired in late 2024 by a production operating under the working title Charlie’s Tale and appeared as one of the escort ships in the film’s Viking flotilla. The Odyssey, which opened in theaters on July 17, grossed more than $264 million worldwide during its opening weekend. The rental agreement reportedly required the production to return the ship in good condition or pay for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear.
Built in 1998 using traditional methods, Glad av Gillberga has sailed the North Sea, the Baltic, and even crossed the Atlantic. It is typically used for educational programs and tourist excursions, but the Viking center says the damage has kept the ship out of service this summer.
Peter Olausson, chairman of the Värmlands Vikingacenter, told The Art Newspaper on Friday that discussions with Universal were in the works.
“They have paid us the rental money in full but not resolved the repair invoice,” Olausson said, adding that he remained hopeful the matter would be settled.
The epic has been the target of an onslaught of internet critiques, most centered on its perceived historical inaccuracies. “The point of myth is that it’s supposed to feel timeless,” Dimitri Nakassis, an expert in the Greek Late Bronze Age and professor of classics at the University of Colorado Boulder told ARTnews, “the Greeks messed around with myths all the time, including those around the Trojan War.”
