Robert Eggers is heading to the 10th century for his next movie, a Viking revenge drama titled “The Northman.” Collider reports the movie is being set up at New Regency with a script written by Eggers and Icelandic novelist Sjón. Eggers’ “The Witch” producer Lars Knudsen is also involved. “The Northman” will be Eggers’ next directorial effort following “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse,” which premiered to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival in May and is opening this month from distributor A24.
“The Northman” is set in Iceland at the turn of the 10th century. The script centers around a Nordic prince who set outs on a mission of revenge after his father is murdered. Alexander Skarsgård is in talks to play the prince. Other cast members being eyed for roles include Alexander’s brother and “It” favorite Bill Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Kidman is circling the role of the prince’s mother.
Should Eggers’ cast negotiations pan out, “The Northman” will reunite the writer-director with two of his most beloved stars: Dafoe of “The Lighthouse” and Taylor-Joy of “The Witch.” The latter film provided Taylor-Joy with her breakthrough role and she was once attached to work with Eggers again on his long-in-the-works “Nosferatu” remake that has yet to get off the ground.
Per Collider, sources close to “The Northman” production claim that Icelandic singer Björk is also being eyed for a supporting role. Joining the film would mark Björk’s major movie role since Lars von Trier’s 2000 musical drama “Dancer in the Dark,” which won her the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Collider reports that Björk’s casting is not as far along as the other actors in talks for roles.
Following “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse,” Eggers has become one of the most sought after directors working today. Eggers has become known for his painstaking attention to historical detail, so it’s not surprising to hear the writer-director is at work on a historical epic set in the 10th century. Eggers’ latest, “The Lighthouse,” has earned critical acclaim and opens in select theaters October 18 from A24.
