As a boy, Harald Zwart wrote scripts, drew and made films. With ViQueens, he returns to the interest that started it all — this time as director of his first animated feature.
“A 12-year-old with five years of filmmaking experience,” reads the old newspaper clipping. In the photographs, a young Harald shows off drawings and filmmaking equipment. Even then, he spent his free time writing, directing and filming his own stories.
Since then, his work has taken him from Fredrikstad to Hollywood, directing films including Agent Cody Banks, The Karate Kid and The 12th Man. His interest in animation has stayed with him throughout his career.
With ViQueens, he had the opportunity to develop an animated family adventure alongside producer and screenwriter Veslemøy Ruud Zwart and their daughter Stella Zwart. The story follows two young Viking girls on a journey from Norway to China.
During the pandemic, the family continued developing the project. The screenplay was completed, and Harald and Stella also worked on animation for the film, then known by its Norwegian working title Vikingjentene.
An important milestone came in May 2023, when the Norwegian Film Institute awarded the project NOK 12 million in production funding. The support contributed to the financing and encouraged the family to take their original story further.
ViQueens opens in Norway on Christmas Day, 25 December 2026.
