Jessica Madsen is leaving the ballroom behind. The Bridgerton breakout has signed on to star in Prime Video’s upcoming Viking epic Bloodaxe, marking a sharp turn from scandalous ton gossip to blood-soaked royal ambition.
Madsen will lead the series as Gunnhild, wife and political equal to the infamous Erik Bloodaxe, played by Xavier Molyneux. The series charts their brutal climb to power in a fractured Norway, set against a backdrop of tribal conflict and shifting alliances.
Bloodaxe hails from Michael Hirst and Horatio Hirst, the father-son duo behind the project, who will serve as writers, showrunners, and executive producers. Michael Hirst is no stranger to sweeping historical drama, having created The Tudors and Vikings. This time, he’s co-writing with Horatio to bring a rawer edge to the Viking story canon.
Production begins later this summer in Ireland and Iceland, with Prime Video securing global distribution across more than 240 territories. The show is being produced by MGM Television, part of the Amazon MGM Studios fold.
Joining the Hirsts as executive producers are Morgan O’Sullivan, Steve Stark, Arturo Interian, John Weber, Sheila Hockin, and Fred Toye, bringing with them a slate of prestige credits spanning series like The Borgias, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Vikings.
For Madsen, the role of Gunnhild positions her at the center of a high-stakes historical saga far removed from her turn as the scheming Cressida Cowper in Netflix’s global romance juggernaut. With Bloodaxe, she’ll trade ribbons for warfare, navigating a treacherous court where survival depends on strategy and steel.
Prime Video has yet to confirm a premiere date, but the streamer is clearly investing in another large-scale period gamble aimed at the global drama market. With Hirst behind the helm and Madsen at the forefront, Bloodaxe looks set to cut deep.
