With his 2015 debut “The Witch” (stylized as “The VVitch”) and its 2019 follow-up “The Lighthouse,” director Robert Eggers firmly established himself as one of the premier modern artistic visionaries. With a combined budget of $15 million, the two films grossed close to $60 million which, in the art-house world, is considered blockbuster territory.
With “The Northman,” Eggers moves away from his horror roots. He was given upwards of $90 million by Focus Features to adapt the ancient fable “The Legend of Amleth” by Dutch historian Saxo Grammaticus. If what you’re about to read here (and hopefully see in theaters before opening weekend is over) sounds a lot like “Hamlet,” it’s because Shakespeare based his best-known, most performed play on this same story.
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