‘The Odyssey’ Hired Their Viking Ship. They Say It Came Back Damaged.
A Swedish Viking center said its vessel was used in the filming of Christopher Nolan’s epic but needed repairs when it was returned. Now, the center is seeking compensation.
When a movie company contacted the Värmlands Viking Center in central Sweden in late 2024 and said it wanted to hire a replica Viking ship for a project called “Charlie’s Tale,” Peter Olausson, the center’s chairman, readily agreed. It was not every day that the small historical attraction got a chance to play a part in a Hollywood project.
When the ship was returned damaged a few months later, Olausson recalled, he wasn’t that worried. The movie company was contractually obliged to pay for repairs.
Now, “Charlie’s Tale” has appeared onscreen — as Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which wanted Viking ships despite being set in the world of ancient Greek myth. And Olausson said in an interview that his enjoyment watching that “fantastic movie” this week was a little soured because Universal still owed him $6,000 for the repairs.
Universal disputed his account on Thursday, after taking in about $264.1 million in ticket sales over the movie’s opening weekend.
“Our records show that all invoices relating to the Glad av Gillberga were paid in full, including repairs,” a Universal spokeswoman said. “The studio and the production have contacted the association to clear up any misunderstanding.”