Joan Klein noted that " Within the 10th Century plot , the book 's Viking protagonists never heard of Jews , and have a completely open mind about them - and when encountering a Jew who allies with the Vikings and leads them to treasure beyond their dreams , they are duly grateful ( ... ) . However , one can hardly overlook the fact that the book was actually written in a very specific part of the 20th Century - during the Second World War , a time when Nazi Germany was involved in a horrific persecution and massacre of Jews , while the Nazis claimed the Viking heritage for their monstrous version of German and Germanic Nationalism . Bengtsson in effect throws the Viking heritage back in the Nazis ' face " The 1964 British-Yugoslav film '' The Long Ships '' was very loosely based on the book , retaining little more than the title ( of the English translation ) and the Moorish settings . In the 1980s , there were plans for a large-scale Swedish screen adaptation . The film was supposed to be directed by Hans Alfredson and star Stellan Skarsgård as Orm and Sverre Anker Ousdal as Toke . The project was cancelled for financial reasons , but Alfredson 's script was reworked into radio theatre which was broadcast in 1990 . A comic adaptation by Charlie Christensen was published in four volumes between 2000 and 2004 . In 2011 the Swedish production company Fladen Film announced they had acquired the film rights for the book , and that an adaptation was under development . In May 2014 , during the press conference of Swedish film company Film i Väst at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival , Danish film producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen , from Danish film company Zentropa , said that he was going to produce an adaptation of the novel . Aalbæk said that he had Stellan Skarsgård in mind as playing the old Röde Orm and his acting sons Alexander , Gustaf , Bill and Valter playing Röde Orm at various stages in his life . This adaptation is planned to be split into two films and also as a TV-series in four parts . Hans Petter Moland from Norway will be directing . Stellan Skarsgård has expressed interest in acting in the film if the script is good . Filming was expected to start in Västra Götaland in 2016 , however Film i Väst decided to end their collaboration with Aalbæk and the film project was cancelled
2014 Cannes Film Festival
2014 Cannes Film Festival
The Long Ships