The Northman, Robert Eggers’ follow-up to his highly acclaimed 2019 film The Lighthouse, is a Scandinavian folklore-inspired tale that bears the same origin as Shakespeare's Hamlet. Already released in some countries, the tale of vengeance has already been praised as spectacular in its brutality before arriving in American theaters on April 22
The story centers on the struggles of young prince Amleth (played by Alexander Skarsgård, who credits his vampiric turn in True Blood with preparing him for this role). After his uncle murders his father (Ethan Hawke, Moon Knight) and takes his mother (Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies) as a wife, Amleth grows up burning with rage and revenge, awaiting the day he can restore everything he lost. But when he meets a young woman named Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen's Gambit), he starts to remember other desires exist as well.
Eggers spoke to Screen Rant about collaborating with the ethereal Anya Taylor-Joy, meeting Björk, and being intentional with his use of violence in an epic like The Northman.
Screen Rant: Anya Taylor-Joy is gorgeous to watch on screen; you can't look away from her. You've worked with her twice now, and I know you want to do Nosferatu with her too. What makes her such a compelling partner to work with?
Robert Eggers: She's super smart and takes direction incredibly well. [It's] the reason why she was cast in The Witch. All the young women who auditioned for Thomasin were really amazing. The pool of talent of British actresses is insane, but she's the only person who delivered the dialogue the way I imagined it as I wrote it.
She's able to be grounded and ethereal, and she has this incredible facility for language. Working with her again, it's awesome to see how she's become such a pinnacle of professionalism on set, as well.
One thing that really strikes me about The Northman is how detailed it is, and how every moment counts. How does your background in design and production help you approach directing differently?
Robert Eggers: I just think that I can probably have easier, more candid conversations with the production designer and the costume designer. Honestly, that's it!
But I think that my care and my obsession with all that stuff, hopefully, creates a more detailed, atmospheric and transportive world.
I know everyone was talking about Björk's small role when it was first announced, but it was still amazing to see it onscreen. How did that happen?
Robert Eggers: It's just that Robin Carolan, the co-composer along with Sebastian Gainsborough, has worked with Björk; has a relationship with Bjork. He introduced me and my wife to Björk, who introduced me to Sjón, my co writer. They've known each other since they were teenagers, so it became a kind of familial environment for Björk.
That's why I think she was wanting to do it.
The violence in this film is so brutal and yet feels so intentional. Can you talk about balancing that?
Robert Eggers: Yeah, I think it's tricky, because I am trying to make an action-adventure tentpole set piece movie. The sagas that it's based on sometimes read like 80s action movies in truth, and it's a culture that celebrates violence, so there are times when it needs to be exciting.
But also, I don't condone violence. I don't want to glorify violence. Sometimes the brutality is there to hopefully wake the audience up to the fact that this is not okay.
The Northman Synopsis
Prince Amleth is on the verge of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy's mother. Two decades later, Amleth is now a Viking who raids Slavic villages. He soon meets a seeress who reminds him of his vow -- save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.
Check back soon for our interview with star Alexander Skarsgård as well.
The Northman arrives in theaters April 22.
