Battle for a Viking Ship: Swedish Organization Seeks Justice Against Universal Over the Film 'Odyssey'

The filming set of Christopher Nolan's new large-scale project, "Odyssey," has become an arena for a legal dispute between a Swedish organization and the film giant Universal. According to reports from The Guardian, the Swedish Viking center Vikingaleden insists that it has not received compensation for the damage caused to the historical ship Glad av Gillberga during production.

The organization, which represents a non-profit purpose, claims that after filming concluded, the ship was returned with serious damage to the mast and the stern. Although the restoration amount—approximately $6,000—is relatively small on the scale of a Hollywood production, it is significant for the Swedish association. The chairman of Vikingaleden, Peter Olauson, emphasizes that the studio gave preliminary guarantees to cover the costs, but the invoice for the materials remains unpaid.

The ship Glad av Gillberga, a replica of an 11th-century vessel, participated in the film as an escort ship, while the main ship in the production is the Norwegian replica Draken Harald Harfagre.

On Universal's part, however, the position is fundamentally different. The studio states that according to their internal documents, all expenses and repairs related to Glad av Gillberga have been fully paid. Universal representatives also claim they have already contacted the association to resolve the misunderstanding.

Against the backdrop of these disputes, "Odyssey" is demonstrating massive commercial success, generating $264 million worldwide in its opening weekend alone, with a total budget of approximately $250 million.