There's just something about the winter that makes it an ideal time to watch shows and movies about Vikings, and fortunately, Prime Video is of the same mind. Today at New York City Comic Con, the streaming service revealed that its new Norse series Bloodaxe will premiere on January 20, 2027. So while the deep snows cover the land and we wait for spring, we'll be able to get acquainted with a whole new era of medieval Viking drama.
Bloodaxe showed off its first look earlier this week, so there's very much been a deluge of exciting information coming at us all at once about the series. Backed by showrunners Michael Hirst — the creator of Vikings — and his son Horatio Hirst, Bloodaxe tells the story of the titular raider Erik Bloodaxe (Xavier Molyneux) and his wife, Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, (Jessica Madsen), as they fight to claim the throne of Norway. If you enjoy Vikings, it's pretty much a given that Bloodaxe is going to be directly up your alley.
The news of the show's release date was dropped at an NYCC panel featuring both Hirsts as well as Molyneux, Madsen, and Levi Miller, who plays Haakon the Good. This was the first public discussion for Bloodaxe, and it was a treat for viewers who have been curious about what's in store since casting news for the series first started circulating last year. The panel also unveiled the first teaser trailer and new key art for the series. Watch:
Bloodaxe has everything we loved about Vikings
From this first glimpse alone, it's easy to see the connective sensibilities from Hirst's Vikings. Just like the story of Ragnar Lothbrok, Bloodaxe follows an upstart young warrior and his partner as they chase their ambitions, rising to become a formidable force that makes kings shiver in their halls and seasoned warriors scream with terror at the sight of them.
That said, this series is not part of the Vikings universe, like the original Vikings show and Neflix's Vikings: Valhalla, the latter of which only saw Hirst involved in an executive producer capacity. Bloodaxe is a brand new original series that takes place during the 10th century, roughly halfway between those two aforementioned Vikings shows. The fresh setting leaves plenty of room to explore fresh characters; Erik Bloodaxe in particular is a real historical figure with plenty of meat on the bone, and from the looks of things Molyneux went all out turning in a charismatic performance as the Norse raider.
Another thing that wasn't completely clear before this teaser and key art were released was just what kind of role Haakon plays. Was he just another leader who Bloodaxe would contend with? A side character? An ally? Now we know that he is essentially the third lead of the series, standing as the main rival to Bloodaxe's ambition to become King of Norway. I got chills watching the battle in the trailer unfold between their two armies.
All eight episodes of Bloodaxe season 1 will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries at once, so it's going to be the streaming service's first real event show of 2027. The series stars Xavier Molyneux, Jessica Madsen, Karlis Arnolds Avots, Levi Miller, Rod Hallett, Alina Tomnikov, Sisse Marie, Rune Temte, and Jesper Christensen. Here's the official description from Prime Video:
In Season One, Bloodaxe chronicles the rise of one of history’s most famous Norse raiders, Erik Bloodaxe (Xavier Molyneux), and his formidable wife Gunnhild, Mother of Kings (Jessica Madsen). As they fight for the throne of Norway, the land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties, and bloody betrayals. With war looming and chaos consuming the kingdom, drawing in the ruthless Kings of other Scandinavian countries, and even a powerful English ruler, the stage is set for a thundering, cataclysmic, compelling and utterly magical new Norse Saga.
Bloodaxe season 1 premieres January 20, 2027 on Prime Video. The show has already been greenlit for season 2, which is currently in production in Ireland.
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