The Northman Trailer Brings Action And Mythology To The Big Screen

Director Robert Eggers, creator of such naturalistic-yet-surreal dramas as "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse," tends to conjure fairly dark worlds into being. His characters are often driven to madness by their needs, or the will imposed upon them by others. He is nothing if not a creative gentleman, with the ability to make even the stalest plot point seem fresh, so fans of his brand of filmmaking have been waiting excitedly to witness his latest masterpiece in action.

Fortunately for them, that wait is over. Today, Focus Features released their first-look trailer for Eggers' epic Viking drama "The Northman." Shot mainly in Northern Ireland during 2019 and 2020, the cast and crew had to brave the COVID-19 pandemic to bring the dramatic film to life. Loaded with period detail, elaborate sets, and strong performances, the movie looks like it's going to be another feather in Eggers' cap. Look below to see what he's wrought this time.

Focus Feature's synopsis of "The Northman" refers to it as "an epic revenge thriller that explores how far a Viking prince will go to seek justice for his murdered father." If you detect the faintest hint of The Bard and his "Hamlet" in that description, the trailer above will confirm all of your hopes; Eggers and his co-writer, the Icelandic writer Sjón, have combined the foreboding, harsh reality of life in 10th-century Iceland with the director's typically nightmarish harnessing of surrealistic visuals and interpersonal violence. The trailer first dropped via Twitter.

"The Northman" stars Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, and Iceland's own Björk. Per IMDb and IndieWire, Skarsgård portrays the revenge-seeking prince, Amleth; Hawke and Kidman are King Horwendil and Queen Gudrun; Dafoe portrays "court figure" Heimer the Fool; Taylor-Joy tackles the role of Olga; and, finally, Björk is Seeress. Also appearing in the film are Tadhg Murphy, Ralph Ineson, Murray McArthur, Olwen Fouéré, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, and Kate Dickie. 

"The Northman" will be released to theaters nationwide on April 22, 2022.