The Witch director Robert Eggers will soon cast his ominous eye over the Vikings in the upcoming historical epic, The Northman, which has officially been given an R rating. The MPA (confirmed via FilmRatings.com) has now revealed that The Northman will be rated R for “strong bloody violence, some sexual content, and nudity.” Everything you could want in a Viking revenge epic.
Set at the turn of the 10th century in Iceland, The Northman centers on a Viking named Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who witnesses the murder of his father, King Aurvandil, at the hands of his uncle, Fjolnir. With his mother, Queen Gudrun, now captured, Amleth flees his native land, but not before declaring his revenge on those who have wronged him. It certainly sounds like it will need an R rating.
Directed by Robert Eggers, who has co-written the screenplay with Icelandic poet and novelist Sjón, The Northman features an all-star cast that includes the likes of Nicole Kidman as Queen Gudrun, Ethan Hawke as King Horvendill, Willem Dafoe as Heimir the Fool, Björk as the Slav Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga, and Claes Bang as Fjölnir alongside Alexander Skarsgård as Amleth, the Viking warrior prince.
Alexander Skarsgård Has Already teased the R Rated Nature of The Northman
Focus Features, Universal Pictures
While we await the brutal, bloody, R-rated undertakings of The Northman, star Alexander Skarsgård has recently teased the sort of violence that audiences should expect to see when the movie is released next month. Discussing his role in the Viking revenge drama, the actor revealed how affected by the difficult shoot he was, and how he allowed it to bleed into his primal performance.
“That climax, where I rip a guy’s throat out and howl at the moon…it was primal,” Skarsgård explained. “I just let it all out. I was exhausted, and I think you see it in the shot. I was a wreck. Truly a wreck.”
Alexander Skarsgård becoming an animal did not happen by accident, however, as director Robert Eggers had always intended for the character to be a Viking “berzerker” who can “channel the ferocity of a bear.” Skarsgård was clearly on board with this idea, as the footage from The Northman so far has teased a version of the actor that is more beast than man, with Skarsgård transforming his physique for the role more than ever before.
“Alex totally transformed his body. He’s bigger than he is in Tarzan, and that’s no small feat,” Eggers said of his leading man. “He completely became this character. When he first had to do that kind berserker transformation scene everything fell into place. To my taste and understanding, he is like a saga hero. There are moments where his rage is as powerful as anything I can think of in cinema. I’m not trying to toot my horn, but it’s intense. I feel ridiculous saying something like that, but it is intense.”
The Northman is scheduled to be theatrically released in the U.S. on April 22, 2022, by Focus Features, and will be distributed internationally by Universal Pictures.
