A New “The Northman” Trailer Teases Robert Eggers’ Ripping Viking Epic
How good is Robert Eggers’ The Northman? Critics are raving that The Witch and The Lighthouse director has managed to top those two, wildly ambitious and singular films with his boldest, most brutal work yet. Tomris Laffly of the AV Club writes that “Eggers’ immersive approach and stylistic flair creates one wild, applause-worthy combat scene after another, reminding viewers why he’s one of the most unique visual artists working today.” Hanna Flint over at Empire Magazine says “This is intimate, culturally rich storytelling on a brutally epic scale.” Alonso Duralde of The Wrap maintains that Eggers has managed “The best kind of multi-quadrant movie: Without abandoning his arthouse credentials, Eggers has made a rousingly rough, extreme action saga that has the potential of attracting the kind of viewers who might have found his previous work impenetrable.”
Now, Focus Features has delivered a new trailer that further teases what has critics so jazzed about this icy, visceral Viking tale. The Northman is centered on Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), which happens to be the Viking name for Hamlet. When the film opens, the young prince is on the cusp of manhood when his father, King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) is brutally murdered by his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang). It gets worse—Fjölnir kidnaps Amleth’s mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), and Amleth is forced to flee his island kingdom. But we know that, just as Shakespeare did in “Hamlet” (which he based on an old Viking tale), The Northman is a story of revenge. Amleth will return to face Fjölnir and bring heaven and hell down upon him.
The Northman reunites Eggers with Anya Taylor-Joy (star of his breakout first feature The Witch) and boasts the first film performance by Björk in 17-years. Eggers also brought along his longtime collaborators like cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, editor Louise Ford, and production designer Craig Lathrop.
Check out the new trailer below. The Northman hits theaters on April 22.
Here’s the synopsis from Focus Features:
From visionary director Robert Eggers comes THE NORTHMAN, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. With an all-star cast that includes Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.
For more on The Northman, check out these stories:
“The Northman” Early Reviews Rave About Robert Eggers’ Ferociously Visceral Viking Epic
“The Northman” Trailer Reveals Robert Eggers’ New Viking Epic
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“Jurassic World: Dominion” Writer/Director Colin Trevorrow Teases Diabolical New Dinosaur
“The Outfit” Director Graham Moore on His Meticulous, Mobbed-Up Debut
Featured image: Alexander Skarsgård stars as Amleth in director Robert Eggers’ Viking epic THE NORTHMAN, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Aidan Monaghan / © 2022 Focus Features, LLC
