Mergers & Acquisitions
TrustNordisk Takes International Sales Rights to Erik Skjoldbjærg's Viking Drama Stiklestad
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- TrustNordisk acquired international sales rights to the Viking drama Stiklestad and will present it at the American Film Market.
- Erik Skjoldbjærg directs Stiklestad, his eighth feature, from a screenplay by Kathrine Valen Zeiner and Maren Skolem.
- Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen produces for Nordisk Film Production, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute and Filminvest.
TrustNordisk has acquired international sales rights to the Viking drama Stiklestad and will present the project at the American Film Market, Deadline reported. The film is directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg and produced by Sigurd Mikal Karoliussen for Nordisk Film Production.
TrustNordisk's Stiklestad Rights and AFM Plans
Stiklestad will be Skjoldbjærg's eighth feature film. His previous credits include Insomnia, starring Stellan Skarsgårdm, which was later remade in English under the same name and directed by Christopher Nolan, and Prozac Nation, starring Christina Ricci. His last film, the WWII feature Narvik, was released in 2022.
The film is directed by Skjoldbjærg from a screenplay by Kathrine Valen Zeiner and Maren Skolem. Katrine Vogelsang and Sveinung Golimo are executive producers. Nordic distribution will run through Nordisk Film Distribution, with international sales handled by TrustNordisk.
The official synopsis sets the story in the year 1030. King Olav Haraldsson wages a brutal campaign to unite Norway under one throne and one God, and Aud, a gifted blacksmith, sees her world torn apart. Captured alongside her sister during Olav's conquest, she is forced to forge weapons of war for the king who enslaved her.
"We are happy to be on board this legendary Viking saga with a fearless female lead and from the director and team behind Narvik," Susan Wendt, Managing Director of TrustNordisk, said in a statement. "We can't wait for the world to join this unique battlefield."
Nordisk Film Production's involvement follows the August 20, 2026 arrival of Eva Jakobsen, co-founder of the Copenhagen-based production company Snowglobe, Deadline reported. She brought her slate of projects, including works by directors such as Jeanette Nordahl and Birgitte Stærmose, to the larger studio's production environment.
Stiklestad's Backing and Nordic Distribution
Stiklestad is produced with support from the Norwegian Film Institute and Filminvest. TrustNordisk will present the project at the American Film Market, and Nordic distribution is set through Nordisk Film Distribution.