Netflix has released the first full trailer for their upcoming teen supernatural series Ragnarok. And no, we’re not talking about that Ragnarok. This new series hails from Norway and is the brainchild of Scandinavian creator Adam Price (Borgen).
The synopsis for Ragnarok reads: “The story revolves around the inhabitants of Edda, who are perhaps not all who they claim to be. With them, we experience a drastically changing world: melting poles, warm winters, violent downpours. Some might say we’re headed for yet another Ragnarok. Unless someone intervenes in time…”
As we can see from the trailer, the series follows the arrival of two brothers to the small town of Edda, where they discover newfound abilities and a dangerous threat to the environment. Magne (David Stakston) and his brother Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli) are new in town, and their arrival appears to portend big changes. We learn that Laurits has skipped a few grades, while his big brother Magne finds himself possessing super strength.
The series is based on the mythological tale of Ragnarök, from the Poetic Edda, a collection of 13th century poems (or possibly older) which tells of the destruction of the world in a battle between the Norse gods and giants. The gods are represented by familiar faces like Odin, Thor, Heimdall, and other royals of Asgard, while the Giants (Jötnar), are aided by trickster god Loki. Oh, and there’s a giant serpent that causes the tides to rise and the world to quake. You know, standard apocalypse stuff.
In this modern retelling however, the giants are re-imagined as the giants of industry and their wealthy offspring like pretty boy Fjor Jutul (Herman Tømmeraas). And these giants are leading the world towards destruction via pollution and climate change. Filtering the events of Ragnarok through an environmental lens is an apt metaphor. After all, is there a greater, more universal threat to our planet than ourselves?
Is Magne the second coming of Thor? And who is the blonde girl who nearly kills him with a javelin? There’s plenty to explore here as the teens of Edda take on the battle to end all battles. Netflix has invested heavily in international series, with an emphasis on teen supernatural dramas, a genre which enjoys universal success.
What do you think of the trailer for Ragnarok? Will you be tuning in?
Ragnarok premieres on Netflix on January 31st.
(via io9, image: Netflix)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
