The Northman: Dark Viking epic from “The Witch” director Robert Eggers
Film plot and background
Gloomy Viking epic from “The Witch” director Robert Eggers.
“I will avenge you, father. I will save you, mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir.” Since childhood, Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) has had only one mantra. With his own eyes, he once had to watch helplessly as his father King Horwendil (Ethan Hawke) was brutally killed by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang). His mother (Nicole Kidman) was captured and he himself narrowly escaped death.
Years later he returns to his old home, battered and scarred by life. He receives unexpected help in his personal vendetta from Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy).
“The Northman” – background, cast, theatrical release
With his gritty Viking epic, director and screenwriter Robert Eggers delves deep into traditional Viking sagas and enlisted the help of archaeologists and historians to correctly portray key characters. He wrote the script together with Sjón Sigurdsson, who first caused a sensation with “Lamb”. The oldest stories about Amlethus go back to the Edda and date from the 12th century. For Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet”, Amlethus is the inspiration.
Eggers has already worked with some of the stars in the cast of “The Northman” in his earlier films, such as Willem Dafoe (“The Lighthouse”) as well as Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Katie Dickie (all “The Witch”). Other leading roles are taken by Alexander Skarsgård (“True Blood”), Nicole Kidman (“Aquaman”), Ethan Hawke (“Training Day”), Björk and Claes Bang. To promote the immersive experience in the cinema seat, “The Northman” was made where Vikings themselves once lived: Filming took place in Iceland, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
The theatrical release of “The Northman” is scheduled for 8 April 2022. The FSK rating gave the epic drama a 16+ rating.
