Norway has already mastered the art of the mountain troll and the tunnel collapse; now, it’s coming for the coastline. Kraken, the latest creature feature from the land of the midnight sun, has just dropped its first trailer, proving that some legends are better left at the bottom of a fjord.
Something Fishy in the Fjord
The trouble starts with the salmon. When wild salmon begin exhibiting “unnatural behavior”—which, in horror movie terms, is the universal signal to move inland—inexplicable deaths begin piling up in Norway’s deepest fjord. The culprit? An ancient, multi-armed nightmare that has decided its centuries-long nap is officially over.
This isn’t just a giant squid; it’s a sentient, crushing machine that reacts to movement and sound. If you breathe too loudly, you’re sushi.
The Creative Team behind the Chaos
Director Pål Øie, who mastered the art of claustrophobia with The Tunnel, shifts his focus from suffocating concrete to the crushing pressure of the abyss. The script is a collaborative effort by Vilde Eide, Kjersti Jelen Rasmussen, and Natasha Arthur.
The creature isn’t the only massive thing; so is the powerhouse Norwegian ensemble, which includes Sara Khorami, Mikkel Bratt Silset, and Øyvind Brandtzæg.
From Folklore to Film
Before it was a CGI spectacle or a catchy command for Liam Neeson, the Kraken was the primary reason 13th-century sailors refused to sleep. The beast has Scandinavian Origins. The legend first surfaced in the Old Norse manuscript Konungs skuggsjá (The King’s Mirror) around 1250 AD. Early accounts described two massive monsters, the Hafgufa and the Lyngbakr, which were so large they were often mistaken for habitable islands.
In 1752, Erik Pontoppidan, the Bishop of Bergen, wrote The Natural History of Norway. He described the Kraken as a mile-wide creature with tentacles capable of dragging the largest warships into the depths. He also noted that the “unnatural” abundance of fish often preceded a Kraken sighting—a detail this new film clearly honors.
As maritime science evolved, the Kraken transitioned from a “crab-like” island to the giant squid we recognize today (Architeuthis dux). While real giant squids rarely exceed 40 feet, the cinematic Kraken remains comfortably in the “big enough to eat a submarine” category.
Kraken looks to be a visceral addition to the “Nature Strikes Back” subgenre. By grounding a mythical titan in the atmospheric, icy waters of a Norwegian fjord, Pål Øie seems to be aiming for a film that is as much about the crushing weight of the environment as it is about the monster itself.
Release Information
Samuel Goldwyn Films is handling the distribution, ensuring this beast gets the big-screen treatment it deserves. Brace yourself for monster mayhem, Kraken hits select theaters and digital on June 12. Dive into the terror-filled trailer below.
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