24 Sep – KRU Studios are under fire for more criticism of their film "Vikingdom" after director Yusry Abdul Halim's statement saying that the film "is just fantasy and is not based on actual history", which he made in response to criticism the film received last week. Karl EH Segfried, a Norse mythological expert based in Chicago, points out that the film is promoted on the film's website as "a collision of myth and history" which contradicts Yusry's statement. "Previous reports in the Malaysian media have said that you did extensive research. Are you saying that the reporters are not telling the truth?" asked Segfried.
Seigfried's frustration resulted after Yusry had told Malaysian media that the West themselves do not even know whether Vikings and Thor really existed. "Yes, we do know that the Vikings existed. This is historical fact. We have evidence from archeology, DNA, eyewitness accounts, law codes and chronicles," he said. Last week, Segfried criticised the film as insensitive to followers of Ásatrú, the religion that venerates the Norse gods and takes Thor's hammer as its holy symbol, as it depicts Thor as the villain and compares it to controversial anti-Muslim trailer "Innocence Of Muslims". "Vikingdom" was directed by Yusry Abdul Halim and it was released in Malaysia on 12 September.