Details remain scarce on this one since Eggers has yet to reveal much, but he wrote ‘Werwulf’ with Sjón, who co-wrote violent Viking saga ‘The Northman’ with the filmmaker.
‘Werwulf is’ described as a werewolf horror film set in 13th century England and is set to feature Old English dialogue.
Taylor-Johnson is reportedly set to play the titular werewolf, with Depp as his wife. The script reportedly features elements of witchcraft and is described as one of Eggers’ goriest projects to date. While the director at one point was considering shooting the film in black and white, he has now apparently dropped that idea.
The cameras are expected to begin rolling this September.
Aboard to produce are Christopher Columbus –– yes, the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Home Alone’ director –– and his daughter Eleanor, who through their company Maiden Voyage Pictures, have been partnering with Eggers since his first film and were involved with shepherding ‘Nosferatu’ to screens.
Since Eggers and Focus saw such success with the seemingly strange Christmas Day release slot for ‘Nosferatu’ last year, they’re trying again, with ‘Werwulf’ targeting December 25th, 2026 as the date on which it will look to terrify audiences. Hairy Christmas!
Filmmaker Robert Eggers has announced his next film.
He’ll write and direct werewolf tale ‘Werwulf.’
It should be in theaters on Christmas Day, 2026.
While it may not have quite the same box office footprint as, say, ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ or ‘Inside Out 2,’ Robert Eggers’ latest slice of historical horror certainly performed for the director, with a $40 million five-day opening, doubling industry expectations.
‘Nosferatu‘ has scared up more than $156 million worldwide and become Eggers’ highest-grossing movie to date, not to mention one of the more successful horror offerings of 2024.
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And now, via The Hollywood Reporter, we have word on what he wants to do next. Eggers is teaming back up with Universal’s indie genre arm Focus Features to craft ‘Werwulf,’ which as the name suggests, will see some terrifying transformations.
It’s certainly a challenge, even for a filmmaker as accomplished as Eggers since werewolves have not had the easiest time of it at the box office. The most recent howling horror to try, Leigh Whannel’s ‘Wolf Man,’ failed to take a bite out of ticket sales, with just $17 million worldwide so far after a little less than a week on release.
(L to R) Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, director Robert Eggers, Willem Dafoe, and Anya Taylor-Joy at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘The Northman.’
Details remain scarce on this one since Eggers has yet to reveal much, but he wrote ‘Werwulf’ with Sjón, who co-wrote violent Viking saga ‘The Northman’ with the filmmaker.
The Reporter’s sources say the story is set in 13th century England. The script also features dialogue that was true to the time period and has translations and annotations for those uninitiated in Old English.
Eggers, in keeping with his love of stylish and creepy filmmaking, had originally intended to shoot the movie in black & white, though that has reportedly now been dropped.
Aboard to produce are Christopher Columbus –– yes, the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Home Alone’ director –– and his daughter Eleanor, who through their company Maiden Voyage Pictures, have been partnering with Eggers since his first film and were involved with shepherding ‘Nosferatu’ to screens.
Not one to have just one project in the works at any one time, Eggers is juggling multiple possibilities, looking for whichever one is moved forward. It would appear ‘Werwulf’ has leapfrogged several others.
Here’s what Eggers told Indiewire about the process:
“[Medieval movie ‘The Knight’ is] on a shelf with a lot of screenplays. I have five things going on, because you never know what’s going to work, what’s going to appeal to people, what’s going to be greenlit. This movie [‘Nosferatu’] was not greenlit three times. I absolutely thought I was making a movie that has not gotten greenlit twice instead of this, so you never know. You’ve got to have a lot of stuff going on.”
Other projects that fell by the wayside include a Rasputin miniseries. And away from horror, Eggers reportedly would like to tackle a Western one day, having spent summers with his grandfather in Wyoming.
And this is what Eggers has said about his career to date:
“‘The Witch,’ proud of it, but I was frustrated that I wasn’t able to get what was in my head onto the screen. ‘The Lighthouse’ was a perfect stepping stone where I felt like I was able to do that. And ’The Northman,’ because the scope and scale was so massive, it was harder for me to do the same. It was a beast, a big learning experience, I’ve said this before, after making ‘The Northman,’ I finally felt like I know how to direct a movie, like I’m not trying to convince people that I know how to direct a movie. I’m not someone who has a lot of ideas and just hoping that it’s going to work. That gave me the tools to finally feel confident as a director, so it was nice going into ‘Nosferatu’ with that feeling.”
Casting has yet to be announced at this point, though Eggers tends to inspire loyalty in his cast no matter the sticky (usually bloody) situations he thrusts them into.
Willem Dafoe, meanwhile, has so far cropped up in ‘The Lighthouse,’ ‘The Northman’ and ‘Nosferatu’ and we know Eggers considers him a kindred spirit, so there’s a chance he’ll make it a fourth time should schedules allow and the right role is in the ‘Werwulf’ script. And let’s be honest: who doesn’t want to see Dafoe going through a scary, hairy transmogrification!
We’ll have to wait and see at this point, though.
When will ‘Werwulf’ howl into cinemas?
Since Eggers and Focus saw such success with the seemingly strange Christmas Day release slot for ‘Nosferatu’ last year, they’re trying again, with ‘Werwulf’ targeting December 25th, 2026 as the date on which it will look to terrify audiences. Hairy Christmas!
The new erotic-horror-thriller stars Alexander Skarsgård (‘The Northman’) as James Foster, a troubled author enjoying a vacation at a tropical resort with his estranged wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman). Eventually they meet the mysterious Gabi (‘Pearl’s Mia Goth), and her husband Alban (‘Tell No One’s Jalil Lespert), who invite them on a day trip to a private beach outside the resort, which is forbidden by the local government for guests to visit.
After an unfortunate accident leaves James facing a zero tolerance policy for his crime, he discovers an expensive loophole that allows foreign criminals to live as long as they are first cloned, and then witness their own clone’s execution. This leads James to question his own mortality, as well as his marriage, as he experiences violence, hedonism and untold horror with Gabi, Alban, and their wealthy friends.
The result is a truly crazy movie experience that explores themes of mortality and sexuality, while grounding it in the horror genre. Cronenberg’s direction is impressive, but the screenplay falls apart in the third act, and while Alexander Skarsgård gives a strong performance, it is Mia Goth that truly shines and steals the film.
Mia Goth as Gabi in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
It’s very hard to know exactly what type of movie ‘Infinity Pool’ is going to be from the first 20 minutes. It starts off very “normal,” never hinting at the sci-fi or horror elements yet to come. In the beginning, it almost seems like a noir film, or that it will turn out to be about an affair, and ultimately a ‘Fatal Attraction’ type thriller. But once the idea of cloning is introduced as an actual thing, you realize that all bets are off as the movie gets stranger and stranger (in a good way) and ultimately is more like an updated ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’
I should have known that the film would go in that direction, and while Brandon Cronenberg introduces elements and themes similar to his father’s movies, the two directors are quite different. I was very impressed with Brandon Cronenberg’s direction, and the unique camera angles and composition of shots that he and his cinematographer, Karim Hussain, crafted. In fact, the film opens on an eerie shot of the resort’s pool and then quickly inverts the landscape. The filmmaker uses this technique throughout the film and it adds to the mood and tone of the movie.
Cronenberg uses other interesting camera and editing techniques during the party scenes where the characters are using hallucinating drugs. Along with the actors performances, this technique really relates the feeling of being under the influence of these drugs and the out-of-control state of mind of the characters for the audience.
In addition to being an erotic thriller and eventually dipping its toes in both the sci-fi and horror genres, the movie also addresses the themes of class and privilege. Other than the film’s more salacious or outrageous moments, this is where the movie’s message works best, when James begins to examine his own privilege and that of the wealthy people he is associating with.
But the film also deals with the idea of, who are we? As its never quite clear if the real James still exists, or if the James we meet at the beginning of the movie was secretly replaced with his own clone each time the “clone” was supposedly killed. Cronenberg navigates this well, never truly giving us an answer, but leaving the clues for the audience to decide themselves. The movie also explores the question of mortality, and what it does to James to repeatedly watch “himself” die.
Cleopatra Coleman as Em in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
Cleopatra Coleman is fine in her role as Em, but is not given much to do other than warn and then watch James on his downward spiral. French actor Jalil Lespert is very entertaining as Gabi’s husband, who is an outgoing and funny character. Rounding out the supporting cast is German actor Thomas Kretschmann (‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’) as Detective Thresh, the policeman that arrests James and offers him the cloning deal. The actor completely sells the cloning concept, even though it takes a certain amount of suspended disbelief from the audience to accept in the movie which is otherwise grounded in reality.
Alexander Skarsgård, who is coming off an absolutely excellent performance in last year’s ‘The Northman,’ gives another strong performance in ‘Infinity Pool,’ and helps anchor the film’s believability. The actor, who often plays heroic or “cool” characters marvelously transformed himself into a much meeker man, someone that could easily fall into Gabi’s mental traps. James is having a breakdown, not only in his marriage, but also in his own understanding of who he is as a human being, and it’s fun watching Skarsgård portray that in the movie.
Alexander Skarsgård as James Foster in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
But its Mia Goth’s performance as Gabi, that really shines and makes the film worth watching. The actress made a real name for herself last year starring in both of director Ti West’s horror movies ‘X’ and ‘Pearl.’ Again here, Goth gives another performance as a troubled and mysterious woman in what could be considered a horror movie, but her role is so much more complex than that.
She must beguile both James and the audience from her first scene, convincing us to trust her innocent character. Goth’s pleasant demeanor and kind attitude is more than enough to mask her character’s true intentions and the massive threat that she presents. Goth gives a sweet and innocent performance at first, but can more than handle the sudden flip in her character, once Gabi’s true intentions are revealed and she “goes nuclear.”
In the end, ‘Infinity Pool’ is an interesting and thought-provoking film that works on several different levels, but never really pulls it all together. Brandon Cronenberg is an impressive director to keep an eye on, and Alexander Skarsgård gives a performance unlike anything we’ve seen from him before, but it is Mia Goth who makes the movie truly worth watching.
(L to R) Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård star in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
When a tragic accident leaves them facing a zero tolerance policy for the crime, they discover an expensive loophole that allows them to live as long as they are first cloned, and then watch their clone’s execution, which leads James down a path of violence, hedonism and untold horror.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth about their work on ‘Infinity Pool,’ their first reaction to the screenplay, their approach to playing their challenging characters, and working with writer/director Brandon Cronenberg.
(L to R) Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth star in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Skarsgård and Goth about ‘Infinity Pool.’
Moviefone: To begin with, Alexander, what was your first reaction to Brandon’s screenplay?
Alexander Skarsgård: My first reaction was, “A movie called ‘Infinity Pool’ set at a resort? Yes, I’ll do it.” Because I read it when I was about five months into ‘The Northman,’ and I was very wet, very cold and bruised on a windy, rainy mountaintop in Ireland. So it sounded like a great idea.
Then when I started reading the script, I was just mesmerized and hooked because it’s so out there. It was so wild, and it was so refreshing to read something so unique. I had seen ‘Antiviral’ and ‘Possessor,’ so I was a big fan of Brandon’s work. So this was a very exciting opportunity.
MF: What was your approach to playing this character and was it challenging getting inside James’ head?
AS: I wouldn’t say challenging, but it was part of the reason I was so attracted to the character, that his journey is extraordinary. To be a character who’s confronted with his own mortality, and in this case, literally face-to-face with his own death. He has to watch his clone get executed, and to psychologically try to understand that, what does that do to a human being, and what does that evoke and trigger in James was really exciting.
Alexander Skarsgård as James Foster in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
MF: Mia, can you talk about your approach to playing your character, and why Gabi chooses James? What does she see in him that she’s attracted to?
Mia Goth: My approach to the character, it’s a process. The prep that’s involved, and looking within yourself and turning certain things up and turning other things down, because it’s all really you at the end of the day. You have to find the character within yourself, I think, to make it as honest as possible. So that all comes with the prep.
I think when she’s at the resort and she meets James, this is something that she’s been doing for a very long time, and James is just the latest victim of hers. Actually, I think he’s probably one of the easier victims that she’s had in her experience. I think she just sees a very insecure man who clearly has issues with his wife, and there’s an easy opening there for her to lure him in.
MF: Finally, what was it like working with Brandon Cronenberg, and was there one scene in particular that was really challenging where he gave you some direction that really helped you with that scene?
MG: I’ve been a fan of Brandon’s for a long time. Likewise, I’ve seen ‘Antiviral’ and ‘Possessor,’ and I was a big fan of his work. So I was very excited to be working with him. I found Brandon gave me a lot of space actually on set, and I really like that kind of direction actually, where there are parameters, but it’s pretty wide open. He really just lets you play and discover the character as you like.
I find the directors who micromanage you in such a way, and want you to hit the line at that point and then look in the light when you say that line, it actually just tenses me up. It was just a wonderful experience working with him. I couldn’t pinpoint one direction that Brandon gave me. The entire experience was just incredibly fulfilling.
Mia Goth as Gabi in Brandon Cronenberg’s ‘Infinity Pool.’
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Coming out of the pandemic, 2022 turned out to be a great year for cinema!
It began with a new take on the Dark Knight from Matt Reeves‘ ‘The Batman,’ followed by the surprise hit ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’ then the summer blockbuster sequel ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ and finishing off with James Cameron‘s long-awaited ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ its truly been an amazing year for movies.
With the year quickly coming to a close, Moviefone has assembled its list of the 22 best movies of 2022.
From Damien Chazelle, “Babylon’ is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.
Actually opening in limited release on December 30th, 2022 and directed by Marc Foster, the movie follows the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grumpy widower who is very set in his ways. When a lively young family moves in next door, he meets his match in quick-witted and very pregnant Marisol, (Mariana Treviño) leading to an unlikely friendship that will turn his world upside-down.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro reinvents Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of the wooden marionette (Gregory Mann) who is magically brought to life in order to mend the heart of a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto (David Bradley). This whimsical, stop-motion film directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson follows the mischievous and disobedient adventures of Pinocchio in his pursuit of a place in the world.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film tells the life story of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
A US soldier (Jennifer Lawrence) suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home in New Orleans. When she meets local mechanic James (Brian Tyree Henry), the pair begin to forge an unexpected bond.
Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on his own life story, the movie is set in post-World War II era Arizona and follows young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), who aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth. Also starring Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, ‘The Woman King’ tells the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen.
Inspired by true events, the film follows the emotionally epic journey of General Nanisca (Oscar-winner Viola Davis) as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life. Some things are worth fighting for!
Directed by Matt Reeves, ‘The Batman,’ stars Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City’s vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Also starring Paul Dano as Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, and Jeffrey Wright as James Gordon.
‘Living’ is the story of an ordinary man (Bill Nighy), reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence, who at the eleventh hour makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful – into one he can say has been lived to the full.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg and part of the ‘Predator‘ franchise, when danger threatens her camp, the fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior Naru (Amber Midthunder) sets out to protect her people. But the prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal.
Directed by Oscar-winning director James Cameron and set more than a decade after the events of ‘Avatar,’ the film tells the story of the Sully family (Jake (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
Directed by George Miller, the film follows Dr. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), an academic content with life and a creature of reason. While in Istanbul attending a conference, she happens to encounter a Djinn (Idris Elba) who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.
This presents two problems. First, she doubts that he is real and second, because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her fantastical stories of his past, and eventually she is beguiled and makes a wish that surprises them both.
Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate for income, she takes a shady gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Theo Rossi).
Faced with a series of dead-end job interviews, Emily soon finds herself seduced by the quick cash and illicit thrills of black-market capitalism, and increasingly interested in her mentor Youcef. Together, they hatch a plan to bring their business to the next level in Los Angeles.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Directed by Robert Eggers, the film follows Prince Amleth, who on the verge of becoming a man witnesses his father (Ethan Hawke) brutally murdered by his uncle (Claes Bang), who kidnaps the boy’s mother (Nicole Kidman). Two decades later, Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) is now a Viking who’s on a mission to save his mother, kill his uncle and avenge his father.
A couple travels (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
Directed by Oscar-winner Sam Mendes, the film is a love story set in and around an old cinema on the South Coast of England in the 1980s starring Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, Oscar-winner Colin Firth, and Micheal Ward.
New York Times reporters Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) break one of the most important stories in a generation — a story that helped launch the #MeToo movement and shattered decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault in Hollywood.
Directed by Luca Guadagnino, the film tells the story of first love between Maren (Taylor Russell), a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee (Timothée Chalamet), an intense and disenfranchised drifter. What follows is a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are.
Directed by Martin McDonagh and set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, the film follows lifelong friends Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship.
A stunned Pádraic, aided by his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavours to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Pádraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.
(L) Jonathan Majors as Nat Love in ‘The Hard They Fall.’ Photo courtesy of Netflix @ 2021. (R) Legendary NBA player Dennis Rodman. Photo courtesy of the NBA’s YouTube channel.
Jonathan Majors has enjoyed quite the successful last couple of years in his career. He’s established one of the most complicated, watchable characters for the MCU in ‘Loki’, made an impact in Western ‘The Harder They Fall’ and is flying back to cinema screens for new Korean War drama ‘Devotion’. Oh, and in 2023, he’ll not only have his big-screen MCU debut in ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ but will also prove a formidable opponent to Michael B. Jordan in ‘Creed III’.
You can understand, then, that he’s a man in demand. And now he’s considering taking on a plum role as Dennis Rodman in based-on-truth basketball movie ’48 Hours in Vegas’.
Jordan VanDina wrote a spec script based on the crazy story of how basketball star Rodman went on a madcap adventure with his skittish assistant General Manager in the middle of the 1998 NBA Finals. According to Deadline, “the film will detail a budding friendship that neither one of them ever thought was possible but will end up solving both of their problems.”
Though the story was covered comprehensively in Michael Jordan-Chicago Bulls documentary ‘The Last Dance’, VanDina wrote his script before the movie came out, and sounds like it could be a fun romp.
Lionsgate won the rights to the script, which also boasts the producing power of Phil Lord, Chris Miller and their business partner Aditya Sood via their Lord Miller company.
No director is aboard yet, but with Majors close to a deal, we figure this one will be hitting the production court next year.
In 2016, Jon M. Chu directed the sequel, ‘Now You See Me’ (which really should have been called ‘Now You Don’t, but nobody asked us), and saw the return of the three men, joined this time by Lizzy Caplan for more illusions and further run-ins with the law.
Little is known about the plot for the third (beyond that it’ll include magic tricks and probably elaborate schemes) but given that Fleischer also worked with Eisenberg and Harrelson on the two ‘Zombieland’ movies, we’d expect them to be back.
“There are three things in this world I absolutely love… Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and magic,” says Fleischer. “To have the chance to work with these two talented actors, as well as rest of the incredible cast of the ‘Now You See Me’ movies is a dream come true. I am a lifelong fan of heist movies – I love getting drawn in by the twists and the mystery where nothing is what it seems. And that’s even more true when the thieves are magicians – the opportunities are endless. Eric was able to unlock a fresh and exciting way into a new movie and fun new characters, so I’m excited to dig in even further.”
“Eric” is Eric Warren Singer, who wrote the original drafts of the movie, but Seth Grahame-Smith is now working on a new re-write.
(L to R) Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco in 2013’s ‘Now You See Me.’
Finally – and stepping outside of Lionsgate – there is news of ‘The Northman’ director Robert Eggers’ next movie.
He’s been developing his own take on classic vampire tale ‘Nosferatu’ for Focus Features and has now locked down his leading duo.
Bill Skarsgård, probably still best known for playing Pennywise in the ‘It’ movies, is back in a horror mood for the new film, alongside Lily-Rose Depp.
Per Deadline’s report, in the new reimagining, ‘Nosferatu’ is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman (Depp) in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire (Skarsgard) who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.
This is one that Eggers has been trying to make for a while – its development pre-dates ‘The Northman’ and at one point he had Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy and Harry Styles attached to star.
With Eggers writing and directing as usual, the movie should be shooting next year if the schedules line up. Time for Eggers to finally do some vamping…
(L to R) Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, director Robert Eggers, Willem Dafoe, and Anya Taylor-Joy at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘The Northman.’
The result is an epic and ultra-realistic Viking movie that pulls influence from ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Spartacus,’ ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ and even William Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet,’ and features a career-defining performance from Alexander Skarsgård.
The movie begins in 895 A.D. on the imaginary island of Hrafnsey where King Aurvandill (Hawke) is brutally murdered by his brother Fjölnir (Bang), while his son, a young Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak) watches in horror. Amleth barely escapes and is eventually discovered and raised by a band of Vikings, but vows to one day avenge his father’s murder and rescue his mother, Queen Gudrún (Kidman).
Years later, an adult Amleth (Skarsgård) is told by a Seeress (Björk) that he will soon have his revenge on his uncle. He then learns that Fjölnir was overthrown from his kingdom, and now lives in exile in Iceland. Amleth disguises himself as a slave on a ship being taken to Fjölnir and soon meets Olga (Taylor-Joy), a sorceress who wants to help Amleth on his quest.
Once arriving in Iceland, Amleth learns that his mother has married Fjölnir and had their own son, Gunnar (Elliot Rose). Now, in order to avenge his father’s death, Amleth will have to search for the magic sword Draugr, if he wants to defeat Fjölnir and save his mother, Olga and the other slaves.
Coming off of his acclaimed films ‘The Witch’ and ‘The Lighthouse,’ ‘The Northman’ solidifies director Robert Egger’s place as one of the most exciting and gifted filmmakers working today. The movie is large and epic in scope, but Eggers keeps it moving at a furious rate. The movie is dark, both physically and emotionally, extremely realistic and very bloody.
Eggers choice to shoot on location, and use practical effects when possible, adds to the realism and attitude of the piece. The film also has a magical aspect that is relayed quite well and seems very realistic, given the source material and its role in the overall story.
The supporting cast is strong, with quick but fun performance from Willem Dafoe and musician Björk. Ethan Hawke is excellent as King Aurvandill, even if his role is somewhat limited as well. Hawke really sets the tone and pace for the movie, and his performance is what puts Amleth’s journey in motion.
Danish actor Claes Bang gives a standout performance as the movie’s villain, Fjölnir. It’s a captivating and multi-layered role that the actor plays well, creating an antagonist worthy of the film’s hero.
Oscar winner Nicole Kidman is also at her best in this movie as Queen Gudrún. In contrast to her role as the hero’s mom in ‘Aquaman,’ playing Amleth’s mother is a much meatier role and is reflective of an actress of her caliber. With several twists and turns, Kidman is always regal in the part, and her performance really packs a punch when her character’s true intentions are eventually revealed.
Anya Taylor-Joy, who starred in Eggers first movie ‘The Witch,’ gives a mysterious yet vulnerable performance as Olga, despite her limited screen time, and has great chemistry with Skarsgård. Make no mistake, ‘The Northman’ is Amleth’s story, but the screenplay serves Olga well, making her an important key to Amleth’s success and his bloodline’s future. At times, her performance is overshadowed by the action of the story, but her character’s importance to Amleth and the plot is never forgotten.
But like any good movie, ‘The Northman’ truly works as a whole only because of Alexander Skarsgård’s incredible, captivating, and thoroughly entertaining performance. I truly believe that this is the movie that will finally make the actor a household name, after roles in disappointing projects like ‘Battleship,’ ‘The Legend of Tarzan’ (which is actually a really good movie), and ‘Godzilla vs. Kong.’
As Amleth, Skarsgård is shockingly strong, both physically and in his performance, and commands the screen with urgency and excitement. He makes the movie work on every level and gives the best performance of his career.
In the end, fans of ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and other “sword and horse” projects will be happy with ‘The Northman,’ and even surprised at the dramatic levels the film reaches. Director Robert Eggers has established himself with this movie as one of the most exciting filmmakers working today, and Alexander Skarsgård’s performance is not only a personal best for the actor, but the best male performance of the year so far!
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Alexander Skarsgård about his work on ‘The Northman.’
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You can read our full interview with Alexander Skarsgård about ‘The Northman’ below or watch our interviews with Skarsgård and director Robert Eggers by clicking on the video player above.
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay when you read it? What were your initial thoughts?
Alexander Skarsgård: I was very excited. I’d been part of the project from the very beginning, so it wasn’t like on most other movies, where you’re sent something and then you start reading it and you’re like, “Oh, this is the story. Okay.” I had met Rob five years ago when we started talking about teaming up and working on a Viking project together.
That was a real privilege to be part of the whole journey. Even before the first draft was done, to be able to have those creative conversations with Rob and with Sjón, his writing partner on the movie, I learned a lot from that. Again, it was a treat that you don’t always have, or very rarely get as an actor.
MF: Your director Robert Eggers mentioned to us that you were a Viking historian even before you signed on to this project. How did that knowledge help you prepare to play this role?
AS: Enthusiasm is very helpful in a creative process because it makes you go deeper and absorb it in a deeper way than if you’re not genuinely excited and thrilled about it. Again, a couple of years before meeting Rob, I had an idea of trying to make a Viking movie. The fact that it came together in this way with such an incredible filmmaker like Rob, I was really over the moon. I couldn’t wait to actually sink my teeth into the material and start working on it, and on the character, and start reading the old Icelandic sagas and books on Norse mythology by different historians and Viking scholars.
I had Neil Price‘s book, “Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings,” which was my go to source for any inspiration or knowledge about the life of a Viking, the world someone like Amleth would’ve existed in, and how he perceived the spiritual world around him, and the relationship he had to the gods. All that stuff was tremendously helpful again, in shaping the character.
MF: Finally, can you talk about working with Robert Eggers and watching him execute his unique vision for this movie?
AS: It’s imperative, and it is 100% historically accurate to Robert. Authenticity is crucial. He does a tremendous amount of research, and basically became a Viking scholar himself in doing research for the movie. He also had four or five Viking historians and archeologists working with him on the screenplay, and on building the sets in order for them to be 100% authentic.
It made my job quite easy as an actor. When you step onto a set that is 100% a Viking village, everything you’re surrounded by is authentic. The clothes you’re wearing are not even remotely anachronistic. Everything is authentic to the time and the place, and that was very helpful.
We wanted it to be a very visceral and an immersive experience for the audience. By throwing ourselves into the mud, literally, and being out there and not shooting it on a comfortable sound stage, but actually be out there in the elements, hopefully you can sense that or feel that when you watch the movie. That was at least the goal.
If you thought the ‘Thor’ movies or the small screen ‘Vikings’ series were the only place to see Norse stories brought to life, ‘The Witch’ and ‘The Lighthouse’ director Robert Eggers’ latest would like to have a word. Or, more likely, scream in your face while dressed in animal skins before threatening you with an axe.
‘The Northman’ is the new movie from Eggers, and it stars Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, who at young age (played early on by Oscar Novak) sees his father murdered by his uncle, who carries his mother off and nearly succeeds in killing Amleth himself.
Yet the young warrior manages to escape and ends up living with a group of brutal Vikings. When he learns that he’ll have an opportunity to wreak vengeance on his uncle, he goes all-in on the mission.
Eggers has rounded up quite the cast for this one, with Ethan Hawke playing Amleth’s father, King Aurvandil War-Raven, who suffers a Boromir-like fate when his brother, Fjölnir the Brotherless, played by Denmark’s Claes Bang, decides to take a stab (and a slice) at the throne.
And with the throne also comes Amleth’s mother, Queen Gudrún, played by Nicole Kidman. And let’s not forget Eggers’ ‘Lighthouse’ star, Willem Dafoe, who here shows up as court jester/soothsayer Heimir the Fool, who helps guide Amleth on his path in more ways than one.
Dafoe isn’t the only Eggers veteran reuniting with the director – there’s also ‘The Witch’s Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Olga of the Birch Forest, who becomes important to Amleth. And finally, there’s Icelandic music legend Björk, here playing a Seeress who dresses in weird clothing. Or, for her, a typical Wednesday.
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If the idea of a prince whose father is murdered and mother married by his uncle sounds familiar, that might be because Eggers and Icelandic author Sjón draw from the same Danish legends that inspired Shakespeare to write ‘Hamlet’. Yet even Shakespearian scholars would agree that the tale of the troubled Dane can’t match ‘The Northman’ for sheer brutality and gore.
From the looks of this trailer, Eggers has truly unleashed himself, upping the scale and scope of the story from his previous movies while never losing the careful curation of characters and allowing performances to breathe.
The new promo also shows off the staggering visuals of the movie, which switches between dark and moody and vibrant, fiery scenes without ever feeling like they clash. Violence is at the heart of the story here, but so too is mythology, Eggers seemingly unafraid to dive deep into religious battles and mystical imagery.
With luck, this will be something quite different from many of Skarsgård’s previous roles, and from what we can see here, he’s thrown himself into the part with gusto.
‘The Northman’ promises to be unlike most movies you’ll see this year, but it won’t be for the faint of heart.
If you want more from the director and others who worked on the film, you’ll also be glad to hear there’s an official podcast about it, which you can find here.
‘The Northman’ will open in theaters on April 22nd.
