Vikings is officially battle axing its way to a fifth season on History, with the story of Ragnar, Lagertha, and Rollo continuing for at least another 20 episodes in 2017. The show, which has all the gore of The Walking Dead and all the historical accuracy of…well…not The Walking Dead has become a cult favorite with fans over the past four years. With the fourth season just underway, there is a lot of story to get through before the fifth season begins but that doesn’t mean the speculating can’t begin immediately. In addition to the current cast (unless somebody kicks it before then), Jonathan Rhys Meyers will also be gracing the screen in season five. A History executive described his addition to the show thusly;
“’Vikings’ has raided the hearts of audiences and we are thrilled that Jonathan Rhys Myers will become a bigger part of the History family after his incredible performance in our upcoming production of ‘Roots.’”
Rhys Meyers is best know for his portrayal as King Henry VIII on Showtime’s The Tudors, which wrapped in 2010. Although he probably won’t be costumed in such lush period costuming as he was on that royal show, it will be a treat to see Meyers embodying another character that lived centuries ago. Plus, his casting here is a reunion with the show’s producer Michael Hirst, who also led the team on The Tudors. Maybe the duo will sneak in a line or two about beheadings as a callback, though that might not be the hardest task on a show with only slightly less blood and gore than medieval times.
(Via Variety)
