Yikes, the owners of The Odyssey’s Viking ship say Universal never paid for the damage

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has landed itself in a bit of behind-the-scenes drama, because the owners of one of the film’s Viking ships claim the studio never paid to fix damage it allegedly caused during production.

The ship, called Glad av Gillberga, is a replica Viking longship owned by Vikingaleden, a non-profit Viking centre in western Sweden. According to The Guardian, the boat spent around six months with Universal while it was being used in the blockbuster before being returned with damage to both its mast and stern.

The vessel isn’t just a film prop either. Over nearly 30 years it’s sailed across the North Sea and the Baltic, and has even made the journey to Canada.

Vikingaleden says Universal had agreed to cover the cost of any repairs, so the association fixed the damage and sent over an invoice. The group says it only charged for materials and didn’t bill the studio for any of the volunteer labour involved.

Peter Olausson, chair of the Vikingaleden association, told The Guardian he was initially thrilled to see the ship appear in The Odyssey, but that excitement has since been overshadowed by the dispute.

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

According to Olausson, the ship has now been fully repaired and is back on the water, but he claims the studio didn’t stick to what had originally been agreed.

“The agreement was that we would fix it and get financially reimbursed.”

While around $6,000 (roughly £4,500) might not sound like much for a Hollywood studio, Olausson said it’s a significant amount for the 200-member association, which runs a Viking museum and village in Sweden.

Universal, however, has disputed the claims.

In a statement, a 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.”

So for now, it seems there’s a disagreement over whether the repair bill has actually been settled. Either way, it’s definitely not the kind of behind-the-scenes story you’d expect from one of the biggest films of the year.

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Featured image credit: Universal