Get to Know Katheryn Winnick’s Latest Project, “Big Sky”
Katheryn Winnick received worldwide recognition thanks to her role as the famous shield-maiden and the consort of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings. Following her departure from the series in 2020, Katheryn has since remained busy filming several movies and TV series.
One of her latest projects is the TV adaptation of The Highway book series, Big Sky. Created by the famous writer David E. Kelley, the series was slated for the fall entry on ABC in 2020.
It was later renewed for the second and third seasons, which premiered in 2021 and 2022.
In the series, Katheryn Winnick starred alongside several familiar faces you might often see on your TV screen! There are the 1990s heartthrob Ryan Philippe, your favorite hunter Jensen Ackles, and veteran actress Reba Nell McEntire, to name a few.
Fun Fact: Do you know that Katheryn Winnick initially didn’t want to do another TV series? After the success of Vikings and filming the movie Flag Day, Katheryn wanted to focus more on big-screen movies. However, she was offered the role in Big Sky by David E. Kelley himself, so she didn’t have it in her to refuse!
The filming process for this series was initially planned to take place in Albuquerque and Las Vegas. However, due to the Covid-19 restrictions back in the day (it was three years ago!), the filming mostly took place in Vancouver, alongside several additional filming in various locations in British Columbia. Meanwhile, the filming process for the second season was conducted in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.
The series received “mixed or average reviews,” as per Metacritic. However, several critics claimed that the “twisty mystery” was “compelling enough” to push through all three series seasons.
Despite its reviews, ABC has yet to announce the fate of the series’ fourth season. Considering that the ratings for the previous three seasons were acceptable, hopefully, it’s not too much to wish for another renewal!
While we wait for the updates for the fourth season of Big Sky, it will probably do us good to learn more about Katheryn Winnick and her role in the crime series. Read on to get into everything we know about the series!
How Did Katheryn Winnick Land a Leading Role in Big Sky? The Behind-the-Scenes Story
Of course, when you have built your reputation based on the character of the fearsome Viking queen Lagertha, your best bet is that many action-packed movies will be offered to you! The same happened to Katheryn Winnick.
Following the success of Vikings, she now portrays the role of a badass deputy detective in the crime series Big Sky.
However, we almost didn’t get Katheryn as the leading role for this series, as she was initially reluctant to do yet another TV series!
“I wasn’t really looking to do television,” she admitted in an interview. “But they called and said that this was a straight offer,” Katheryn added.
To Collider, Katheryn shared that what got her to accept the offer was that David E. Kelley is the one who asked her to be in the series. She also praised the show’s format that adds “new actors every nine episodes,” which she thought is “a lot of fun and keeps things moving.”
Not to mention, Katheryn teased fans that she would have an opportunity to direct an episode (or two!) of the series, adding to her directorial portfolio!
Despite her initial reluctance, Katheryn received David’s offer, claiming that she had been a fan of his works, which have many “iconic, powerful, relatable characters.” Besides, the lack of heavy armor, braids, and dirt also adds plus points for her!
What the Crime Series Big Sky is All About: Everything We Know
Based on the book series The Highway by C. J. Box, Big Sky revolves around the mystery of the disappearance of two sisters while driving through a remote highway in Montana. Reuniting with her estranged husband, Katheryn Winnick’s Jenny Hoyt began the investigation to find the missing sisters.
It was later discovered that the two victims were not the only missing ones, as it was part of a string of disappearance cases happening in the same area. The detectives were pressured to catch the perpetrator before they kidnapped another woman.
Nearing the end of the first season, Jenny and her colleagues found out that (Spoiler Alert!) one of the long-haul truckers, Ronald Pergman, was the one who kidnapped the girls, and he, in fact, was part of a notorious human trafficking ring! While they managed to catch Ronald, he eventually escaped after flipping the car in which he was transported.
If you think the first season was brutal, then you better skip the second season because it was filled with deaths. Yep, plenty of minor characters’ deaths and even two deaths on-screen for the main characters!
However, at least we can rejoice that our main villain, Ronald, finally met his demise at the end of the second season, being stabbed to death by Cassie. But, if you think that means the end of Jenny’s case, you thought wrong! The third season showed that there is still a lot to unpack.
For the third season, ABC even added the chilly narrative of “deadly trails,” showing that the terror and mystery have yet to be uncovered completely. In the latest season, their main suspect was no longer long-haul truckers but a local backcountry-slash-glamping business owner!
Welp, deadly trails, indeed!
Hope You Enjoyed The Mystery in Katheryn Winnick’s Big Sky!