‘Vikings’ Creator’s ‘Bloodaxe’ Unleashes Its First Brutal Trailer as Prime Video Sets Premiere Date

Michael Hirst has spent more than a decade shaping how television imagines the Norse world. His ‘Vikings’ series ran from 2013 to 2021, and its sequel ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ followed with 3 seasons on Netflix between 2022 and 2024, both packed with dynastic scheming and battlefield carnage.

Now the writer is heading back into Scandinavian history with ‘Bloodaxe’, a new historical drama for Prime Video that he created alongside his son, Horatio Hirst. The series is set in the 10th century, placing it chronologically between Hirst’s previous television outings.

After months of anticipation, the first look has officially arrived. Prime Video debuted the teaser trailer for ‘Bloodaxe’ at New York Comic Con, confirming that all 8 episodes of the first season will premiere on January 20.

The teaser was unveiled during a panel with Michael and Horatio Hirst and cast members Xavier Molyneux, Jessica Madsen, and Levi Miller. The panel was moderated by Nerdist editor-in-chief Rotem Rusak, and it marked the first time the creative team discussed the series publicly.

The footage leans into the gritty style Hirst built his reputation on, with mud, steel and torchlit halls. One striking moment shows a blood-spattered warrior bellowing in the middle of a dense forest, arm raised as an army gathers behind him.

First trailer for ‘BLOODAXE’, a new Viking warriors series from the creator of ‘VIKINGS’ Releasing January 20 on Prime Video. https://t.co/1MMTCXDi4Y

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 9, 2026

The story opens in 927 AD, as the ailing King Harald Fairhair of Norway must name a successor while his sons are already at war. At the center of it all is Erik Bloodaxe, played by Molyneux, one of history’s most famous Norse raiders.

He’s joined by his formidable wife Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, played by Madsen. As the pair fight for the throne, Norway is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties and bloody betrayals.

The conflict quickly spreads beyond the kingdom’s borders. War draws in ruthless kings from other Scandinavian countries and even a powerful English ruler, setting up what Prime Video describes as a cataclysmic new Norse saga.

Alongside Molyneux and Madsen, the first season stars Karlis Arnolds Avots, Levi Miller, Rod Hallett, Alina Tomnikov, Sisse Marie, Rune Temte and Jesper Christensen. Miller plays Haakon the Good, while Mads Reuther and Saku Taittonen joined the cast earlier this year.

The fate of Norway hangs in the balance. Feast your eyes on the teaser poster for Bloodaxe, a new Prime Video original series from the creator of Vikings. https://t.co/pKJJ1bEkli

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) October 9, 2026

Behind the scenes, the series marks a family affair. Horatio Hirst, who previously played Bishop Grimketel in 4 episodes of ‘Vikings: Valhalla’, makes his writing debut on the show, and he and his father serve as showrunners, writers and executive producers.

‘Bloodaxe’ is produced by MGM Television, a division of Amazon MGM Studios. Additional executive producers include Morgan O’Sullivan, Steve Stark, Arturo Interian, John Weber and Sheila Hockin.

Prime Video is clearly confident in the project. The streamer renewed ‘Bloodaxe’ for a second season back in June, long before audiences had seen a single frame, and those new episodes are already in production in Ireland.

That vote of confidence comes as the industry keeps searching for the next big historical epic. MovieWeb noted that Viking dramas have arguably come closest to replicating the mix of dynastic intrigue and battlefield spectacle that made ‘Game of Thrones’ a phenomenon.

The series will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. With an all-at-once release, fans will be able to binge Erik Bloodaxe’s entire bloody rise to power as soon as it arrives.

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