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‘Vikings’ renewed for fifth season as Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers joins cast

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History has commissioned a fifth season of Irish co-produced drama series ‘Vikings’ with Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers joining the cast in an unspecified role.

Production of the new 20 episode season is expected to begin in the summer, with the series premiering in 2017. Rhys Meyers has previously starred in ‘The Tudors’ – another acclaimed period drama which was shot in Ireland and created by Michael Hirst. That series ran from 2007-2010 with Rhys Meyers garnering Golden Globe and IFTA nominations for his role on the show, winning the IFTA in 2008. Rhys Meyers has recently completed work on thriller ‘Damascus Cover’ as well as an upcoming ‘Roots’ remake.

‘Vikings’ has been a critical and commercial hit since premiering in 2013. It is now the number one telecast on Thursday nights on cable in all key demos in Live +3, drawing in 4.2 million total viewers. It has also just been nominated for five IFTA Awards, including Best Drama.

The first four series of ‘Vikings’ were shot in Co. Wicklow with production in Luggala and Ashford Studios. There were approximately 400 Irish people involved in the production of the series. A number of key Irish professionals involved included director Ciarán Donnelly, costume designer Joan Bergin, production designer Tom Conroy and cinematographer PJ Dillon. A total of 8000 extras were sought for the fourth season of the show.

Irish Executive Producer Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000 Entertainment said: “I am thrilled that Vikings is once again a success in the United States and across the world. A big thank you to the History Channel and MGM for their huge support and congratulations to the many hundreds of people in Ireland and Canada who work tirelessly on the show to make it a success.”

From creator and sole writer Michael Hirst, ‘Vikings’ is inspired by the sagas of Icelandic Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best-known legendary Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of England and France.

Hirst serves as executive producer along with Morgan O’Sullivan of World 2000, Sheila Hockin, John Weber of Take 5 Productions, Sherry Marsh, Alan Gasmer and James Flynn.

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“Damascus Cover” not affected by Relativity’s bankruptcy filings

LONDON — A spokesperson for sales company Carnaby International has confirmed that espionage thriller “Damascus Cover,” starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and John Hurt, is not one of the “casualties” of Relativity Media’s decision to file for Chapter 11.

“As an official representative of the film, I can confirm that there are no contractual commitments in place between these two parties and the film is still in pre-sale negotiations with buyers worldwide,” said Carnaby’s press representative, Hayley Hamburg, director of Rave PR. Hamburg issued the statement Monday in response to “inaccurate reports” in a trade publication, not Variety, and the BBC. Both erroneous reports have been corrected.

At the Cannes Film Festival, “Damascus Cover” went to South Africa’s Crystal Brook, India’s Empire Networks, Vietnam’s Vistcom and China’s HGC. At Berlin, it had been sold to Gulf Films (Middle East), PT Prima Cinema (Indonesia), Flins y Piniculas (Spain), Discovery (former Yugoslavia) and KRU Group (Malaysia). Discussions with North American distributors are on-going. The film will have its industry premiere at the American Film Market in November.

Set in 1989, the pic focuses on a veteran spy sent undercover in Syria to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist and his family out of Damascus.

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Cannes: Simon West’s ‘Salty,’ Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ ‘Damascus Cover’ Attract Buyers

LONDON — Carnaby Intl. has added international sales during the Cannes Film Festival on Simon West’s action-comedy “Salty” and espionage thriller “Damascus Cover,” which stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers and John Hurt.

“Salty” went to Flins y Piniculas for Spain, Raon in South Korea, KRU Studios in Malaysia, Vistcom for Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and India, and HGC in China. Carnaby had previously inked deals for Indonesia (PT Prima Cinema), Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary and Romania (Prorom), Poland (Kino Swiat), Israel (Five Stars), Middle East (Gulf Film), and Turkey (Central Park).

The film follows an ageing rock star, and reformed sex addict, who is persuaded to take a holiday by his wife, a former supermodel. Things take a turn for the worse when she’s kidnapped by Thai pirates raising money to buy a new boat. West’s credits include “Con Air,” “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and “Expendables 2.”

At Cannes, “Damascus Cover” went to South Africa’s Crystal Brook, India’s Empire Networks, Vietnam’s Vistcom and China’s HGC. At Berlin, it had been sold to Gulf Films (Middle East), PT Prima Cinema (Indonesia), Flins y Piniculas (Spain), Discovery (former Yugoslavia), Mountain Pictures (South Korea) and KRU Group (Malaysia).

Set in 1989, the pic focuses on a veteran spy sent undercover in Syria to smuggle a chemical weapons scientist and his family out of Damascus.

Carnaby sold “Arthur and Merlin” to Spain’s Flins y Piniculas, China’s HGC, former Yugoslavia’s Discovery and Germany’s Tiberious), and received offers from Japan and the U.S., which have yet to close.

“Casual Encounters” went to South Africa’s Crystal Brook, “Mercury Plains” was sold to Spain’s Flins y Piniculas, and “Everything Carries Me to You” also went to Spain’s Flins y Piniculas.

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Cannes: Carnaby Seals International Deals for Jonathan Rhys Meyers Spy Thriller

London-based sales and distribution banner Carnaby International has locked down a series of acquisitions for its Middle East-set spy thriller, Damascus Cover. Among the pickups for theJonathan Rhys Meyers– and John Hurt-starring title, currently in post-production, were HGC in China, India’s Empire Networks and South African distributor Crystal Brook.

Carnaby also secured a number of sales for its upcoming comedy-drama Salty, from Con Airand The Expendables 2 director Simon West, teaming again with HGC for China. Other buyers for the title — which is described as The Hangover meets Get Him to the Greek and follows an aging rock star whose ex-supermodel wife is kidnapped by pirates — include Prorom for  six Eastern European territories, Flins y Piniculas for Spain and Vistcom for India, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.