"The Northman" is produced by Skarsgard, who spent years developing a Viking epic before meeting Eggers.
Filmmaker Robert Eggers says his new star-studded revenge epic "The Northman" is a big popcorn movie and a true depiction of Viking culture and mythology.
Set in 895, the film stars Alexander Skarsgrd as the Viking prince Emleth, who flees his home in the North Atlantic after his uncle (Clayse Bang) brutally kills his father, King Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke). Is.
Years later, Emleth, disguised as a slave, travels to Iceland where his uncle and mother, Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman), now live, to avenge his father's murder and save his mother. Along the way he meets a mysterious woman, Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), with whom he forms the first real human connection since childhood.
“There has never really been an accurate Viking film before, and I was working with some of the greatest historians and archaeologists in the area and, one thing is for sure, this is the most accurate Viking film ever made,” Eggers told the film. Reuters at the London premiere of.
"The Northman" is produced by Skarsgard, who spent years developing a Viking epic before meeting Eggers.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid growing up in Sweden, surrounded by runestones," he said.
Skarsgard, 45, underwent a physical transformation to play the Viking, working with his "Tarzan" trainer, Magnus Ligdbach.
“When Amleth changes from his human state to his spirit animal, he becomes a hybrid of a bear and a wolf, so it was important to grow up a little and grow up a little bit,” he said.
The film's violent, large-scale action sequences were a first for Eggers, who had previously directed two feature films, "The Lighthouse" and "The Witch". This involved careful planning and organization to keep their hundreds of extras, stunt performers and animals on track.
“He loves authenticity, he loves very long, uncut scenes. It’s quite challenging to shoot big, big action set pieces with just one camera, one shot. So we have to They had to rehearse and work on that choreography and the relationship between the characters and the camera," said Skarsgard of the experience.
"The Northman," also starring Icelandic singer Björk, who is appearing on the big screen for the first time in 17 years, was released in theaters around the world in April. (Reuters)