Slowly but surely, the Norse pantheon is coming together. Following a slew of casting announcements for its upcoming live-action God of War series, Amazon Prime Video has revealed that Sonya Walger will step into the recurring role of Freya (via Variety).
The Lost and For All Mankind star joins Ryan Hurst as Kratos, Callum Vinson as Atreus, and Mandy Patinkin as Odin – the character’s ex-husband in the two most recent God of War games by Santa Monica Studios, which the show adapts. Additional cast members include Max Parker as Heimdall, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Thor, Alastair Duncan as Mimir, Danny Woodburn and Jeff Gulka as as brothers Brok and Sindri, and Ed Skrein as Baldur.
“Freya is a Vanir goddess and princess who practices powerful, ancient magic. She is also Odin’s ex-wife and the former Queen of the Valkyries in Asgard, a title bestowed upon her on her marriage day. She is strong, insightful, and filled with regrets,” reads the official character description for Freya. “When Freya’s unhappy marriage to Odin ended with her being exiled, she was cut off from her family, as well as her native land, Vanaheim. Freya has lived alone in Midgard for a century, a recluse in a hidden glade, feared by humans, and often referred to as the Witch of the Woods.”
Traditionally depicted as Odin’s wife, Freya gets a nuanced and more complex portrayal in the games that establishes her as an uneasy ally, with the 2022 sequel, Ragnarök, fleshing her character out further.
Production is now underway on the live-action series, but reception to a first-look image of Kratos and Atreus was far from positive. Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica) is at the helm, with Frederick E.O. Toye (Shōgun, Fallout) tapped to direct the first two episodes. PlayStation Productions and Tall Ship Productions are co-producing the show, alongside Sony and Amazon, while longtime God of War writer and director Cory Barlog and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Hermen Hulst serve as executive producers.
The God of War adaptation currently has no release date.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
