Vikings: Valhalla season 3 is dedicated to executive producer James Flynn

The first episode of Vikings: Valhalla season 3 opened quite differently than the first two seasons. The season 3 premiere, "Seven Years Later," started with a tribute to James Flynn, an executive producer of the Netflix original series, immediately after the familiar opening credits sequence and theme.

Via Netflix, the tribute reads:

""Dedicated to the memory of our dear friend and colleague James Flynn." "

The third and final season of Vikings: Valhalla is dedicated to Flynn and his work making Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla as good as it could be.

For those who don't know, Flynn is one of the executive producers of Vikings: Valhalla and has been since the show's first season. In fact, he was also a producer on the original series, Vikings, created by Michael Hirst. Vikings ran for six seasons on The History Channel from March 2013 to December 2020. That's how Flynn was connected to Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla. He was instrumental in bringing both series, The History Channel series and the Netflix series, to life.

According to reports from Irish Times, Flynn died at the age of 57 on Feb. 11, 2023.

In a statement, his production company, Metropolitan Films, indicated that he died after an illness.

Here's part of their statement, which also included Flynn's family, via The Hollywood Reporter:

"James fought his recent illness with courage, dignity, positivity and discretion to the very end. For that reason, we are acutely aware that the news of his passing has been an unexpected shock for all of us and for many people within and beyond the industry."

Although some Vikings fans might not recognize Flynn's name or know much of his work behind the scenes on the incredible historical dramas, you'll definitely be familiar with some of the popular and award-winning shows and movies that Flynn was a part of. The Irish filmmaker and producer worked on a bunch of recent hits, including Banshees of Inisherin, P.S. I Love You, Into the Badlands, Kin, The Last Duel, Leap Year, Ella Enchanted, Penny Dreadful, Tudors, and many more. Just take a spin on Flynn's IMDB to see how many amazing projects he and his team have been a part of.

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Flynn co-founded the production company Metropolitan Films in 1997. Recently, the production company has been responsible for Disenchanted, both Vikings shows, Banshees of Inisheran, and more, according to the company's website.

Flynn is also one of the most important figures in the advancement of Irish film and TV. He's been a part of some of the biggest and best movies in recent memory. And, he's worked with some of the biggest names in TV and film throughout his career, including Colin Ferrell, Martin McDonagh, Aidan Gillen, Matt Damon, Ridley Scott, Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and many more.

Thanks to the success of Vikings: Valhalla, Netflix has made substantial investments in productions set and filmed in Ireland, according to Variety. Netflix moved Wednesday season 2 production to Ireland from Romania after the show's first season. It's safe to say that none of that is possible without Flynn's contributions to Irish TV and film over the last 30 years.

Banshees of Inisheran, which we've mentioned a few times, was one Flynn's final projects. Flynn passed away just a week before Banshees of Inisheran won four awards at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), including Best British Film, Best Supporting Actor (Keoghan), and Best Original Screenplay.

Our thoughts are with Flynn's family, his team, and everyone associated with Vikings: Valhalla during this difficult time.

All three seasons of Vikings: Valhalla are streaming on Netflix. The series will not be returning for a fourth season.