Universal Pictures faces claim over damaged Viking replica ship used in “The Odyssey”

Glad av Gillberga Universal Pictures The Odyssey Viking ship dispute film piracy

Swedish nonprofit Vikingaleden, which operates the Viking centre and museum in Värmland, says its replica longship Glad av Gillberga was returned from the production of Christopher Nolan’s film The Odyssey with significant damage. The association alleges the vessel’s stern, mast and hull required repairs costing roughly $6,000 in materials, a sum it has invoiced Universal Pictures but has not received. Universal maintains that all invoices, including those for repairs, have been paid in full and that any misunderstanding will be resolved.

The 18‑metre Viking‑style ship, built using traditional methods, was employed as one of the escort vessels in the movie, while the main ship shown was the Norwegian replica Draken Harald Hårfagre. In parallel, the film faced a separate issue when a full‑length high‑definition copy was uploaded to the social platform X, amassing over two million views before removal. Universal Pictures issued a statement confirming that it is actively pursuing copyright takedowns and protecting its intellectual property. Both the financial dispute over the ship and the piracy incident have drawn media attention as the blockbuster continues to generate strong box‑office returns.

Entities: Christopher Nolan · Glad av Gillberga · Peter Olausson · The Odyssey · Universal Pictures

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Universal Studios rented the Viking‑ship replica 'Glad av Gillberga' from Vikingaleden for filming 'The Odyssey'. (b2ccf37e-992e-4de1-8c98-4f305baa65ea)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Universal issued a statement to takedown the illegal upload and protect its rights. (7656f478-1bfa-4730-b631-a95e68afcaa0)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The ship sustained damage costing approximately 58,000 Swedish kronor after filming. (b2ccf37e-992e-4de1-8c98-4f305baa65ea)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Universal initially did not pay the repair costs but later confirmed payment and promised settlement. (b2ccf37e-992e-4de1-8c98-4f305baa65ea)
[○ 1 SOURCE] A reviewer described the film as lacking tension and being 'woke'. (f8d2fbf7-6c07-440c-89a8-4262d9e12dcb)
[○ 1 SOURCE] An illegal full upload of 'The Odyssey' appeared on X. (7656f478-1bfa-4730-b631-a95e68afcaa0)
[● 2 SOURCES] Matt Damon stars as Odysseus in 'The Odyssey'. (f8d2fbf7-6c07-440c-89a8-4262d9e12dcb)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The uploaded video was later revealed to be a prank showing Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. (7656f478-1bfa-4730-b631-a95e68afcaa0)
[● 2 SOURCES] A lower-quality upload of the film gathered nearly 50,000 views before being taken down.
[○ 1 SOURCE] A full version of 'The Odyssey' was uploaded to X, receiving over 2.1 million views before removal.
[● 2 SOURCES] Universal Pictures said it activated removal processes and takes copyright violations seriously.