Viking (film)

Viking (Викинг) is a 2016 historical action film by director Andrei Kravchuk, winner of the best film award at 2005 Berlin International Film Festival', and based on the historical document Primary Chronicle and Icelandic Kings' sagas. Screen International has called it Russia's Game of Thrones.^[1][2] The films stars Danila Kozlovsky (Vampire Academy, Hardcore Henry) and Svetlana Khodchenkova (The Wolverine, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).

Plot

Kievan Rus, late 10th century. After the death of his father, Svyatoslav I, ruler of Kievan Rus, the young Viking prince Vladimir (Danila Kozlovsky) is forced into exile across the frozen sea in Sweden to escape his treacherous half-brother Yaropolk (Aleksandr Ustyugov), who has murdered his other brother Oleg (Kirill Pletnyov) and conquered the Viking territory of Kievan Rus. The old warrior Sveneld (Maksim Sukhanov) convinces Vladimir to assemble a Varangian armada, hoping to reconquer Kiev from Yaropolk and ultimately face the mighty Byzantine forces.^[3][4]

Cast

• Danila Kozlovsky as Vladimir
• Svetlana Khodchenkova as Irina
• Alexander Ustyugov as Yaropolk
• Maxim Sukhanov as Sveneld
• John DeSantis as Berserker
• Joakim Nätterqvist as Khevding
• Igor Petrenko as Varyazhko
• Andrey Smolyakov as Rogovold
• Vladimir Epifantsev as Fedor
• Alexander Bortich as Rogneda
• Kirill Pletnev as Oleg
• Paul Delong as Anastas
• Alexey Demidov as Samocha
• Alexander Lobanov (III) as Putyata
• Harald Rozenstrem as Einar

^{[5] [6]}

Production

The film was produced by Konstantin Ernst and Anatoly Maksimov, best known for the Russian urban fantasy/supernatural thrillers Night Watch and Day Watch.^[7]

A few scenes were filmed in 2013 to secure funding (see External Links), a common way to secure finances for large movie productions in Russia. The majority of the film was filmed from early March to the last week of July 2015. The budget was on par with the Russian WWII epic Stalingrad, 1 250 million rubles.^[8] The film was shot on several locations including the city of Bakhchisarai, the Belogorsky District and the Genoese fortress in Sudak.^[9]

The cast is mostly Russian; however the film does features Swedish actor Joakim Nätterqvist^[10] and Canada's John DeSantis.^[11]

Marketing

The first official teaser trailer was shown during a closed pitch event with the management of the Russian Ministry of Culture and chairmen of Cinema Foundation of Russia.

In September 2015 Central Partnership distribution studios announced the release date for the film as 22 December 2016. On November 19, 2015, Film Direction and Channel One Russia released the official trailer to the public.

References

External links

• Early teaser trailer