Robert Eggers’s upcoming film The Northman will be different from classic historical epics like Gladiator and Braveheart. The Northman is Eggers’s third feature film following the success of his arthouse horror hits The Witch and The Lighthouse. The film, which has an all-star cast of Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, and Björk, will premiere in theaters on April 22.
With The Northman, Eggers has had his biggest budget to date and the film’s trailers show off the brutal action, stunning production design, and impressive visual effects on display. The film, which was co-written by Icelandic poet Sjón, is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet as it follows Skarsgård’s character Amleth as he seeks to exact revenge on his uncle for the murder of his father. Eggers worked with academics, including archaeologists and anthropologists, to make The Northman one of the most meticulously researched and period-accurate Viking movies to date in contrast to other historical epics which have ditched accuracy for the sake of cinematic appeal.
With its sweeping landscapes, and action setpieces, some audiences might naturally want to compare the film to other historical epics, but Eggers has said that such a direct comparison would be a mistake. Speaking to The New Yorker, the director said that his film will be “arty-but commercial” while acknowledging that he feels the pressure on the film to achieve commercial success. Despite this pressure, the director promises that while the film has “aspects” of similarity to films like Gladiator and Braveheart, The Northman will be “weirder.” Check out the full quote below:
“We had kind of an expensive, arty—but commercial—but arty, but commercial, like, Viking movie... Now everyone is kind of, like, ‘If this isn’t “Gladiator” or “Braveheart,” we’re fucked.’ And the thing is: it isn’t. It has aspects of that, for sure. But my best intention of doing ‘Gladiator’ or ‘Braveheart’ is still... Weirder."
The Northman might not be like Gladiator or Braveheart, but it could very well have similar commercial appeal and end up being the director’s first big box office hit. Drawing from a well-known, archetypal story with a cast of big names, and promising intense action with a historical setting, the film is sure to draw in a wide audience. Some of the film’s marketing has reflected the studio’s desire for a big commercial hit, as new posters have chosen to go for a rather mainstream, unremarkable look which no doubt underplays The Northman’s promised weirdness.
After The Northman makes its debut, fans of Eggers’s work will start to focus on his next project. Initially, it looked like that project was going to be a remake of the classic horror film Nosferatu starring frequent collaborator Taylor-Joy and Harry Styles. The project has been delayed for the moment, with Styles pulling out due to scheduling conflicts. Whether or not the Nosferatu remake ever makes it off the ground, audiences who enjoy Eggers' work will be sure to appreciate The Northman when it makes its highly-anticipated debut.
Source: The New Yorker