If violent Vikings, revenge fuelled plots and an A-List cast appeal to your film tastes, then there is a new reason to visit cinemas.
On Good Friday (April 15), a new historical drama was released called The Northman. It stars Alexander Skarsgård as a Viking prince on a quest to avenge the death of his father, the King, and at the hands of his uncle.
“I will avenge you, father. I will save you, mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir,” states Skarsgård’s character Amleth in the trailer for the new film. The character of Amleth (from medieval Scandinavian legend) is widely believed to be the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s character Hamlet.
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The film is directed by Robert Eggers, whose previous films include The Lighthouse and The Witch. Alex Flood of NME gave the film five stars, saying: “You’ll be bowled over by this brutal Viking epic.”
Who is in The Northman cast?
Some huge names are in the cast of The Northman, including stars of both the big and small screen. For example, Ethan Hawke has recently appeared in the new Disney+ Marvel series Moon Knight, as well as in classic films Training Day and Before Sunrise. Alexander Skarsgård has previously appeared in The Legend of Tarzan, Big Little Lies and True Blood.
Legendary actress Nicole Kidman will be familiar to fans for her prominent roles in Moulin Rouge, The Hours, and Dogville. She also played Skarsgård's wife in Big Little Lies. Willem Dafoe appeared as The Green Goblin in Spider-Man and is also known for films like The Lighthouse and At Eternity’s Gate. The whole cast includes:
- Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth
- Oscar Novak as young Amleth
- Nicole Kidman as Queen Gudrún
- Claes Bang as Fjölnir the Brotherless
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga of the Birch Forest
- Ethan Hawke as King Aurvandill War-Raven
- Björk as the Seeress
- Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool
- Kate Dickie as Halldora the Pict
- Gustav Lindh as Thorir the Proud
- Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as He-Witch
- Murray McArthur as Hákon Ironbeard
- Ian Whyte as The Mound Dweller
- Katie Pattinson as Shield-maiden
- Ian Gerard Whyte as Thorvaldr Giant-Crusher
- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Thorfinnr
- Doa Barney as Melkorka
- Olwen Fouéré as Ashildur Hofgythja
- Ralph Ineson as Captain Volodymyr