Viking Longship Owners Feel 'Forgotten' After Universal Allegedly Fails to Pay for Film Damages

The Swedish owners of a Viking longship replica that features in the Hollywood blockbuster The Odyssey say they feel “forgotten” after film-makers allegedly returned the vessel damaged and failed to foot the bill for repairs.

In nearly three decades at sea, the warship Glad av Gillberga – based on a wreck from around 1040 found in Denmark’s Roskilde fjord – has successfully sailed the North Sea, the Baltic and even voyaged to Canada.

But after six months in the hands of Universal, which according to its owners promised to cover the cost of any repairs, it allegedly sustained considerable damage including to the stern and the mast.

Vikingaleden, a nonprofit Viking centre in Värmland, western Sweden, said that when it invoiced Universal for the materials used to repair their ship (they did not charge for their volunteer labour), no payment arrived.

A year later, while the Christopher Nolan epic starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya storms global box offices, taking $264m (£196m) in its opening weekend alone, it says it is still waiting for its $6,000 payment.

Peter Olausson, chair of the Vikingaleden association, said that although he felt proud that the ship was featured in the film, that feeling had been tinged with injustice after the film giant’s alleged failure to cover the cost of damages.

“We are only charging for the material cost, not the labour,” he said. “Of course Universal can afford this $6,000. We feel forgotten.”

The ship is now back in action but Olausson accused Universal of going back on their word. “The agreement was that we would fix it and get financially reimbursed.”

Olausson said that to Universal, the outstanding sum would be comparatively small, but for the 200-member association that runs the Viking “village” and museum, it is a significant amount.

The critically acclaimed film, which reportedly cost $250m to make, is based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem about the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, on a 10-year sea journey home from the Trojan war.

The Glad av Gillberga was used as one of the escort vessels in the flotilla, which are thought to have been similar to Nordic Viking ships.

The main ship, Odysseus’s boat, was the 35-metre-long Norwegian replica Draken Harald Hårfagre.

Its Swedish captain, Björn Ahlander, said life on the ships filming for six months around Greek and Italian islands was not easy for the 30-person crew. He told the broadcaster SVT: “We rebuilt the ship into an ancient Greek ship. We removed the tents and all the modern things and had an open deck that we lived on during this time. It was quite tough.”

A Universal spokesperson said: “Our records show that all invoices relating to the Glad av Gillberga were paid in full, including repairs. The studio and the production have contacted the association to clear up any misunderstanding.”