Fantastic news, Vikings fans! Overwhelming fan-favorite Katheryn Winnick is heading back to television in her first post-Lagertha TV role. In an exciting deviation, the actress has joined the cast of a series that is incredibly different from Vikings. For one, it is not a historically inspired epic.
This casting news does not entail Katheryn Winnick joining the cast of Netflix’s Vikings spinoff. Winnick has won the lead role of Jenny Hoyt in the upcoming ABC series, The Big Sky, per Variety. An adaptation of C.J. Box’s The Highway, The Big Sky is billed as a “procedural thriller,” and Winnick’s Jenny will be front-and-center for the thrills!
The Big Sky follows private detectives Cody Hoyt (Ryan Phillippe) and Cassie Dewell. A former cop, Katheryn Winnick’s Jenny teams up with her husband (from whom she is separated) and his partner to find her son’s missing girlfriend. The trio’s investigation also involves the search for two sisters kidnapped by a trucker on a remote Montana highway. The state is the setting for Yellowstone, and now The Big Sky. Montana is having a TV moment!
On The Big Sky, Cassie, Jenny, and I would imagine Cody realize the sisters are not the only girls who have gone missing in the region. It is at that point they unite to stop a killer and save another woman before she falls prey to them. It sounds like Jenny and Cody's son's girlfriend could be in grave danger.
Adding to the excitement is that The Big Sky has some well-known power behind it. The Practice’s David E. Kelley is credited as the series’ creator and executive producer. Will Kelley deliver on any romance? Katheryn Winnick created quite the chemistry with her Vikings co-star Travis Fimmel. It will be interesting to see if any sparks ignite between her and Ryan Phillippe.
Katheryn Winnick and Ryan Phillippe’s characters are said to be separated and not divorced. Could they reconcile? Curious minds will have to tune in and find out. The Big Sky has already been ordered to series at ABC, so things are looking bright for its future. It is just a matter of anticipating the premiere!
There is not a lot to go on in terms of Jenny’s personality outside of her being described as “cynical and tough.” Jenny's spot in the investigation sounds primed to give Katheryn Winnick quite the showcase. Winnick knows how to play someone tough and forceful, who still has a profound emotional pulse. I am excited to see her in this role. She definitely has what it takes to play a detective!
Spoilers for Vikings Season 6A are discussed below.
Katheryn Winnick’s new role comes after Vikings sent shockwaves through its fanbase with the demise of her character, Lagertha. While Winnick seemed to confirm Lagertha’s death ahead of Season 6’s premiere, there had been some hope it would happen in Season 6B. Vikings chose to have her pass earlier and subsequently devoted an entire episode to her sendoff.
Katheryn Winnick directed the Vikings episode after Lagertha’s funeral. She admitted to encountering her share of challenges directing the installment, which turned out great, in my opinion. Winnick will now be back in front of TV cameras for ABC’s The Big Sky and in a lead role that sounds compelling! Lagertha is a tough act to follow.
The Big Sky should be an excellent vehicle for Katheryn Winnick, though. Her time on Vikings proved what an outstanding actress she is. Of course, I also hope that she can somehow end up doing something on that Vikings’ spinoff. Winnick had expressed being open to the possibility. For now, she will definitely be starring in The Big Sky.
You can watch Katheryn Winnick in previous seasons of Vikings, which are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. ABC has not revealed a premiere date for The Big Sky yet, so stay tuned. While awaiting that news, you can keep busy with this winter and spring’s premieres.
