Erling Haaland is following in the footsteps of David Beckham and Vinnie Jones by taking his first steps into the acting world, with the Norwegian striker set to make his film debut. The Manchester City striker will voice a character described as 'an animated version of himself' in the upcoming animated film Viqueens.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 25-year-old is playing a Viking called Haaland in the motion picture. The adventure-comedy is directed and co-written by award-winning Norwegian filmmaker Harald Zwart, known for The Karate Kid and Agent Cody Banks.
'As a Norwegian storyteller making a Viking adventure for a global audience, having Erling Haaland join feels incredibly exciting,' said Zwart. 'Erling has already become a kind of real-life Viking icon around the world – powerful, fearless and uniquely Norwegian. Bringing him into this universe as himself gives the film an unexpected energy and authenticity that felt completely right for this story.'
Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola Media, added: 'Erling Haaland transcends sports – he's a global cultural figure. His involvement brings another exciting dimension to a film that already combines international adventure, humour, and emotional storytelling in a way we believe will resonate with audiences everywhere.'
Haaland follows the likes of Beckham and Jones, who have already graced cinema screens. Beckham made his silver screen debut in his friend Guy Ritchie's King Arthur back in 2017, playing hardened battleguard Trigger alongside Charlie Hunnam and Eric Bana. Meanwhile, Jones is known for portraying gangsters on screen, and as recently as 2024 played gamekeeper Geoff in Ritchie's series The Gentlemen featuring Theo James. He famously also played Coach Dinklage in She's the Man and was The Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand.
Haaland may need a while before he becomes the big actor Jones has become, with plenty of years on the pitch still ahead of him. The striker's focus will currently be on winning the Premier League with Manchester City, as they look to hunt down Arsenal, who are two points ahead at the top with two games to go. Haaland will next be in action on Tuesday night as they travel to Bournemouth.
