Animated viking drama ‘ViQueens’ unveiled in Annecy, and it features Ella Purnell, Rita Ora, and Norway soccer star Erling Haaland

The upcoming animated adventure ViQueens was officially unveiled during a masterclass at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Deadline reported. This project is turning heads for its star-studded cast and a unique production method that aims to change how we look at animated features. The delivery date is set for late 2026, and a planned home territory release on December 25, 2026.

The film follows two fearless Viking girls named Ingrid and Hedvig. They decide to defy tradition by taking on the mission of returning a stowaway boy to China. The story spans icy fjords and the fabled Silk Road, mixing Viking and ancient Chinese settings with elements of magic and comedy.

The voice cast includes Ella Purnell and Rita Ora, along with soccer star Erling Haaland, who is making a special appearance in the film. The cast also features Steve Speirs as King Erik, Anton Lesser as Lars, and Alan Carr as the Bard, a royal scribe.

The film combines Viking and Chinese mythology

The creative team behind the film, director Zwart and producer Veslemøy Ruud Zwart, used this festival appearance to pull back the curtain on something they call Reference Capture. This is a production methodology they developed to bridge live-action filmmaking and animation. By combining performance, cinematography, and physical staging early in the creative process, they are giving their animators a much deeper emotional and visual foundation to work from. It is important to note that every frame is still being hand-animated, and the team is not using any AI in this process.

“From the beginning, we wanted ViQueens to feel as emotionally authentic and cinematically grounded as a live-action film while retaining all the imagination and scale that animation makes possible,” said Zwart. He noted that this approach allows them to capture real performances and camera language to help build their animated universe.

ViQueens first trailer is here …a big hearted adventure about Viking girls Ingrid (Ella Purnell) and Hedvig (me!!) as they defy tradition and set off on an unexpected adventure to return a stowaway boy to China So proud to be part of this one! Coming to cinemas December… pic.twitter.com/wa6oYhgGj0

— Rita Ora (@RitaOra) June 25, 2026

The producer, Veslemøy Ruud Zwart, added, “The teaser is our first opportunity to invite audiences into the world of ViQueens.” She mentioned that the teaser showcases the humor, heart, and cinematic scope that have been central to bringing this story to life.

To round out the production, the film features an original score by Christophe Beck. He also composed the scores for the Frozen movies. Animation and visual effects are being handled by Gimpville, with post-production and audio services provided by OPCM.