When we think of Vikings, we usually imagine muscular warriors, impressive beards, longships, fierce battles, and perhaps a few handsome men running around shirtless. Not exactly the worst fantasy.

But how much do we really know about Scandinavia a thousand years ago? Were Vikings all warriors? Did they really wear horned helmets? And what was life like for men who loved other men?

Announcing Our Very First Movie

So why are we talking about Vikings? Well, there’s a reason. And it’s a rather exciting one!

This Christmas, we’re bringing you our very first full-length movie, featuring Vikings, sci-fi, and, of course, a gay love story.



Watch the trailer now on YouTube. Spoiler alert!

Imagine Norway in 995 AD. A peaceful Viking village, surrounded by mountains and fjords. An unexpected visitor arrives, and an unlikely friendship turns into, of course, a love story. 😊

AI filmmaking has reached a point where we can attempt something unimaginable just a year ago: our own epic movie, with spectacular battles, breathtaking landscapes, and a gay love story at its heart.

Here’s a first glimpse of what’s coming! Below are four stills from the movie, we’ll be sharing the full scenes over the coming weeks, so stay tuned for more!

Viking flirting was apparently alive and well in 995 AD.

A romantic music video about finding love in an unexpected world.

The king’s army arrives. And not everyone comes in peace.

A desperate village. An impossible promise. A legendary dragon.

There are wonderful gay movies and series, but let’s face it: many tell sad stories. What’s missing are Marvel or Avatar-style blockbusters, with spectacular worlds, epic adventures, and gay characters at the center.

Such productions can cost hundreds of millions, while the audience is often considered too small to justify the investment. As a result, the heroes are almost always straight, while LGBTQ+ characters, if they appear at all, are limited to supporting or background roles.

AI opens a new door, with all its pros and cons.

Our Viking sci-fi adventure is our attempt at something that doesn’t exist: a truly gay blockbuster.



Meet the cast!

The Myths and the Reality

Surprisingly, most people we call Vikings wouldn’t have described themselves that way.

The Old Norse word víkingr referred to seafaring adventurers, often raiders, rather than an entire nation. Most Scandinavians were farmers, fishermen, traders, or craftspeople.

And those horned helmets? A myth. There’s no convincing evidence that Viking warriors wore them into battle.

Viking raids helped shape the fierce reputation of Norse warriors, although most Scandinavians lived far more ordinary lives. Painting by Ferdinand Leeke, 1901.

But Vikings cared about their appearance. Archaeologists have found combs, razors, tweezers, and grooming tools. So the handsome, well-groomed Viking isn’t entirely a Hollywood invention.

A Viking warrior’s funeral, a scene of mourning and remembrance that reflects the importance of honor and reputation in Norse society. Painting by Frank Bernard Dicksee, 1893.

Masculinity was closely linked to courage, honor, independence, and reputation. Accusations of cowardice or unmanliness could seriously damage a man’s standing, something that also influenced attitudes toward sexuality.

From Scandinavia to the Mediterranean

For a relatively small population, the Vikings had an astonishing impact on history.

From the late eighth century, Scandinavian seafarers traveled across Europe as raiders, merchants, settlers, and explorers. They reached England, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and even North America around the year 1000, centuries before Columbus.

Leif Erikson and his crew arriving in North America around the year 1000, as imagined by Norwegian painter Hans Dahl (1849–1937).

In France, Scandinavian settlers established Normandy. Their descendants conquered England in 1066 and later established powerful states in southern Italy and Sicily.

Others traveled east, helping shape the early Rus’ political world, connected to modern Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

Some even reached Constantinople, where Scandinavian warriors served in the Byzantine emperor’s elite Varangian Guard.

Varangian guardsmen, depicted in a 12th-century illustration of the chronicle by Byzantine historian John Skylitzes.

Some of this will play a role in our movie as well. 😉

Odin, Thor and Loki

Before Christianity, Scandinavians worshipped a fascinating collection of gods.

Odin represented wisdom, war, poetry, and death. Thor, armed with his hammer Mjölnir, protected gods and humans. Freyja was associated with love, fertility, magic, and battle.

Odin, seated on his throne with his ravens and wolves. Illustration by Johannes Gehrts, 1888.

And then there was Loki, the ultimate troublemaker. A master of shape-shifting, he crossed boundaries of gender and even species.

In one remarkable myth, Loki transforms into a mare, becomes pregnant, and gives birth to Odin’s eight-legged horse, Sleipnir.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Loki, transformed into a mare in the background, lures away the stallion Svaðilfari, an encounter that leads to the birth of Sleipnir. Illustration by Dorothy Hardy, 1909.

Even Odin practiced seiðr, a form of magic associated with women, exposing him to accusations of unmanliness.

It’s a fascinating contradiction: a society obsessed with masculine honor worshipped gods who regularly challenged gender expectations.

In 995 AD, Olaf Tryggvason became King of Norway and began spreading Christianity by force. His reign lasted just five years, but by the mid-11th century, Christianity was firmly established in Norway.

What About Gay Vikings?

Modern labels like gay, straight, and bisexual didn’t exist in the same way. Sexual behavior was judged through masculinity, honor, social status, and sexual roles.

Old Norse texts contain insults such as argr and ragr, accusing men of being unmanly or sexually passive. Such accusations could seriously damage a man’s reputation.

But what about love between men?



Curious to explore the topic further? This short documentary by The Viking Vault looks at sexuality, masculinity, and same-sex relationships in the Viking world.

The surviving sagas tell us plenty about kings, battles, and marriages, but remarkably little about intimate relationships between men. Most were written after Christianization, making the earlier Viking world even harder to understand.

Were Vikings gay-friendly? We simply don’t have the evidence to say so.

And were there men who loved other men? It would be extraordinary if there weren’t.

A Love Story History Never Recorded

Romeo and Joel are fictional characters, and the sci-fi element is entirely our invention. But their story takes place against a real historical backdrop: Norway at the end of the tenth century, caught between the old gods and Christianity.

Expect battles, warriors, longships, gods, handsome Vikings, a touch of humour and a generous dose of sci-fi.

Watch the trailer, tell us what you think, and stay tuned for the premiere.

With love from Amsterdam,

Your ROMEO Team 💙