Outside of Ari Aster, nobody does horror cinema better right now than Robert Eggers. So, take notice, horror fans: “The Northman,” Eggers’ latest film since 2019’s “The Lighthouse,” hits theaters next April. The new movie brings a lot of actors from Eggers’ previous two films back for the director’s take on an epic Icelandic legend.
Why should audiences be excited for “The Northman?” For one, the story. The film stars Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, a Viking prince who vies for revenge after the murder of his father. Amleth’s legend in Scandinavian lore served as a direct inspiration for Shakespeare’s tragedy “Hamlet.” Anyone familiar with that play knows the quality of the source material. So, what will it look like in Eggers’ hands?
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The second reason: “The Northman” has a stacked ensemble cast. Alongside Skarsgård, the film also stars Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Claes Bang, Murray McArthur, Gustav Lindh, and Ian Gerard Whyte. On top of that, Anya Taylor-Joy, Kate Dickie, and Ralph Ineson, who starred in Eggers’ 2015 debut “The Witch,” are also on board. In addition, Willem Dafoe, who co-starred in “The Lighthouse,” also returns. Finally, Icelandic singer/actress Björk and The Mountain himself, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, round out the main cast.
Reason #3: Eggers co-wrote “The Northman” with Icelandic novelist and poet Sjón. Sjón’s slightly surreal novels, such as 2003’s “The Blue Fox” and 2016’s “CoDex 1962,” have transfixed the literary world for over twenty years now. The English translation of his latest novel, “Red Milk,” comes out in January 2022.
Eggers shot “The Northman” in Ireland and Northern Ireland last year with Jarin Blasche, his cinematographer from his previous two films, by his side; another reason to be excited.
How will “The Northman” measure up to the likes of “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse”? We all find out on April 22, when the film hits theaters courtesy of Focus Features. Check out the trailer below.
