Nicolas Winding Refn Prepping a Valhalla Rising Sequel; All-Female Horror Project Still in the Works

Steve Barton   |  

Jun 22, 2013

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Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today so when we heard about a sequel to his Valhalla Rising with our new favorite Hannibal back in the lead, as well as an all-female horror project, we brought back the scoop on both for you.

While doing press for the North American premiere of Only God Forgives, Refn told The Playlist he’s planning to re-team with Valhalla Rising star Mads Mikkelsen (who’s currently burning up the airwaves with his incredible performance as Dr. Lecter on NBC’s “Hannibal”), saying they had “talked about revisiting the [One Eye] character from Valhalla Rising again to kind of complete… because there’s a similarity between Valhalla Rising, Drive, and Only God Forgives. But in a way I had this idea of Mads Mikklesen to go back to the origins of this character. But make the movie in Tokyo.”

When asked how this next Valhalla Rising chapter could be a sequel set in Tokyo of all places, Refn cryptically said, “Tokyo is a world unto itself.” And exactly how does One Eye emerge from the early Viking era to modern-day Tokyo? Refn said of the film, “[It’s] about the future…”

That’s all well and good, but what about this women only horror movie? In a previous chat with The Playlist, Refn said of the film, called I Walk with the Dead, “Yes, that’s [on] the drawing boards; it’s looking very good.” The all-female sexy horror thriller has Carey Mulligan attached. And when might it start shooting? “I have to finish the script first,” Refn said, adding with regard to whether or not he already has his necessary funding, “There are… movements of events.”

We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for more, but in the meantime here’s a reminder of what Valhalla Rising was all about:

1000 AD. For years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor; and together he and Are escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One Eye and Are board a Viking vessel, but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that clears only as the crew sights an unknown land. As the new world reveals its secrets and the Vikings confront their terrible and bloody fate, One Eye discovers his true self.

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