Baltasar Kormakur, Iceland’s best known film director, has started work on a new high-budget Viking movie. This will be the most expensive film ever made in Iceland with an estimated budget of 60 million dollars.
Baltasar, who is probably the most popular movie director in Iceland, became famous for directing “101 Reykjavik” some years ago. His new movie is partly based on the stories of Njal (“Njals saga”), a Viking herse and his family living in Norway and Iceland. The sagas are full of dramatic stories, and they are a very important part of the history of the Icelanders.
“I’m really looking forward to this movie, and I’m sure it will be a hit internationally, it’s so full of excitement and adventure,” the director said.
And this has been seen in Iceland before, An Iceland Incentive press release states. The James Bond movie Die Another Day in 2002, the first episode of the 6th series of the Amazing Race in 2004 and most recent Journey 3-D, were all partly filmed in Iceland.
For $60m, you could pay each Icelander 250 ISK to be an extra in the biggest Viking battle scene ever filmed…
Perhaps, he is the Iceland’s best known film director, and, perhaps, he is the most popular movie director in Iceland. I do not know. I do know he is FANTASTIC! Movies The Sea, Jar City, are masterpieces, and only a genius could be the director.
I would say Fridriksson is the GREAT icelandic film director; Children of Nature was nominated for an Oscar as best foreign language film. Children of Nature is a masterpiece!
“Became famous for directing “101 Reykjavik” some years ago.”
He formed a lethal combination mixing spanish and icelandic characters. Spanish actress Victoria Abril, the great Victoria Abril, played a part of lesbian.
Budget of 60 million dollar – 7700 million Krona – ??????? …. Yes! also I hope it be a hit internationally!!!
Awesome news!
It’s about time someone makes a good, authentic movie based on one of the sagas.
For excellent ‘Viking’ stories, one should look to an English writer named Bernard Cornwell. He has written an excellent series of books based around the times of the English King of Wessex, Alfred and how the Danes fought his armies and eventually created ‘Danelaw’
These stories would make an excellent film.