Netflix has returned to the Norwegian mountains with Troll 2, a supersized sequel to its most-watched non-English language movie, while director Roar Uthaug and his backers openly entertain the idea of turning the franchise into a full monster saga. The new film, released globally on December 1, reunites geologist Nora Tidemann and her uneasy government allies as fresh trolls tear across ski resorts and valleys, forcing Norway to decide whether these creatures are enemies or endangered relics from its own folklore.
The first Troll became a breakout hit in 2022, amassing about 103 million views and topping Netflix’s global chart for non-English language movies, which made a sequel almost inevitable. Uthaug returned with writer Espen Aukan and producers Espen Horn and Kristian Strand Sinkerud to shoot Troll 2 across Trondheim, Jotunheimen and Budapest, in what local industry figures describe as the largest film production ever mounted in the Nordic region.
This time, the stakes rise with multiple creatures, including a predatory antagonist often described as a “megatroll”. Uthaug told one recent interviewer he had long wanted to stage battles between different types of trolls, mixing kaiju-scale set-pieces with recognisable Norwegian landscapes and a dry sense of humour. He framed the film as an escalation in action and spectacle while keeping the monsters grounded in folk tales and imagery shaped by painter Theodor Kittelsen.
Netflix’s own promotional material leans into that mythological angle, describing the new threat as a force tied to ancient stories, while positioning Nora, Andreas and Major Kris as a frontline team racing against time to prevent national disaster. Behind the scenes, the scale of the shoot tested the cast: newcomer Sara Khorami recently recalled filming a demanding action sequence at Bøvervatnet after hours of violent illness, taking breaks to vomit between takes before returning to the icy water.
Early critical reaction has been mixed, with several reviewers praising the large-scale destruction and playful set-pieces, such as a nightclub raid in the mountains, while taking issue with thin character work and uneven tone. Yet interest now extends beyond this chapter. A post-credits scene shows a surviving troll specimen in a lab, and Uthaug has said he has ideas for a third film, even as Netflix has yet to announce a threequel. The door to a “Trollverse” stays ajar, helped by a global platform that already proved audiences will turn out for a Norwegian monster roaring through the fjords.
