Director Robert Eggers is one of the most exciting filmmakers around at the moment. Both his 2016 debut The Witch and his 2020 follow-up movie The Lighthouse engulfed us with bucketloads of portentous, chilling atmosphere. And we can expect more of the same from his upcoming movie The Northman, the first trailer for which has cleaved its way online.
It's a bit of a change of pace for Eggers, being a Viking-themed tale of revenge as opposed to a claustrophobic psychological endurance test. That said, we can recognise many of Eggers' signature flourishes in the visually handsome teaser, as Alexander Skarsgard's orphaned warrior vows vengeance on the tribal chieftain who executed his father and kidnapped his mother.
The cast is really something. In addition to Skarsgard, we've got Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman and Eggers favourites Anya Taylor-Joy and Willem Dafoe. There's also an unrecognisable appearance from Björk dotted amidst the hallucinatory vistas of burning fires, and the hushed, fragmentary voiceover promises bloody vengeance on the horizon.
Given Eggers' background, chances are this will hew a lot more closely to a horror movie than your typical Viking saga. We're really excited about this one as the talented Eggers ups his game and expands his visual scope. And that cast is to die for. The Northman is released via Universal Pictures UK on 22nd April 2022.