Epic battles, tales of vengeance, lore and love are at the heart of Twilight of the Gods.
The new animated version of Norse mythology is the work of the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Suicide Squad and Justice League, Zack Snyder, and is about to premiere on Netflix.
Snyder said: “My imagination was always really sparked by the Norse gods … Thor, Odin, an adventure story about love and redemption and revenge set in this amazing landscape.
“It just really made me want to dig in and get involved.”
When is Twilight of the Gods on Netflix?
Twilight of the Gods is unleashed on Netflix on Thursday 19 September.
The opening four minutes have already been released in a trailer, revealing some intense battle scenes, a trademark of Snyder’s work, and an explicit approach to the love story.
He told Netflix: “Norse mythology in the traditional sense is very much an adult sort of adult content, if you will.
“I think what [animation] does is, it allows us to be really truthful in our storytelling.
“And it allows the audience to experience a thing that’s really unexpected and really exciting.”
What is the show about?
Twilight of the Gods is a journey across fantastical lands where wars are waged against deities and demons
The eight-episode series stars mortal king Leif (voiced by Stuart Martin) who is saved on the battlefield by warrior Sigrid (Sylvia Hoeks), with whom he falls in love.
On their wedding night, Sigrid and Leif survive the wrath of Thor (Pilou Asbæk), which sets them and a crew of crusaders on a merciless mission for vengeance against all odds.
Deborah Snyder, executive producer, said the story is about Sigrid’s quest for revenge.
She said: “When her whole family, her whole village is murdered on her wedding, she feels like she has to take action.
“She’s sick of being a pawn of the gods, and she wants to fight back … Even though she’s just about to embark on this new life with the love of her life, she feels like she cannot do that until she gets justice for her family and village.”
Who is in the Twilight of the Gods cast?
Although animated, Twilight of the Gods has a cast of voice actors which draws on a range of backgrounds – including Nordic.
Sylvia Hoeks
She leads the cast as the voice of iron-willed warrior Sigrid set on vengeance after the loss of family and friends. The Dutch actress and former model is best known for her role as Luv in Blade Runner 2049 and Lisbeth Salander’s sister in thriller The Girl in the Spider’s Web. The 41-year-old also plays Queen Kane in Apple TV series See.
Stuart Martin
Scottish actor Stuart Martin, 38, is the voice of mortal king Leif, who weds Sigrid. He played Den in Snyder’s epic space film Rebel Moon and Brad cage in Army of Thieves. Television audiences will recognise him as Tony from Babylon and Silas Sharrow from Jamestown.
Pilou Asbæk
Danish actor Pilou Asbæk gives voice to the Norse god Thor. The 42-year-old has played spin doctor Kasper Juul in Danish television show Borgen and Euron Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. He was Captain Wafner in the 2018 film Overlord and Kordax in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
John Noble
John Noble, 76, is the voice of Odin, god of war and the dead. The Australian played Denethor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Dr Walter Bishop in sci-fi series Fringe. He has also lent his distinctively deep voice to animated and video-game projects such as Batman: Arkham Knight and Rockstar Games’s L.A. Noire. Ohter cast members include:
- Londoner Rahul Kohli as Egill (iZombie, The Fall of the House of Usher)
- Fellow Londoner Paterson Joseph as Loki (Peep Show, Green Wing and Noughts + Crosses)
- American actress Jamie Clayton as The Seid-Kona (Sense8, Designated Survivor)
- Denmark’s Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Hervor (Borgen, Vinyl)
- Kristofer Hivju as Andvari (Game of Thrones, Fate of the Furious)
- Norwegian actor Peter Stormare as Ulfr (Minority Report, Songbird)
- Norway’s Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Thyra ( The Last Kingdom)