The Northman is finally available on Peacock for streaming! The latest film from Robert Eggers, which tells a tale of retribution through the perspective of the Vikings, was well received by critics. The Northman, like Eggers’ previous two films, was written by him as well, although this time he collaborated on it with Icelandic poet and author Sjón Sigurdsson.
The Northman has drawn comparisons to Braveheart and Apocalypse Now, and author Dave Eggers has called it “kind of a costly, arty, but commercial” Viking movie. The story is set at the beginning of the tenth century in Iceland, and it centres on the Nordic prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgrd), who seeks retribution from Fjölnir (Claes Bang) for the killing of his father (Ethan Hawke). The Northman is based on the same Norse myth of Amleth that gave William Shakespeare the idea for his play Hamlet, so if it sounds familiar, that’s because it does. However, Eggers’ fantasy drama does not closely match actual events, despite having comparable plot lines.
Here is a handy guide to help you distinguish between the various characters in The Northman, from Viking warriors to queens, and beyond, before turning on your home entertainment system. The film has an extremely stacked cast of A-list actors.
Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård)
Amleth is a Viking warrior prince who was always promised by his father that he will one day rule the realm. Amleth decides to exact revenge on his uncle after witnessing him kill his father in order to exact retribution for his father’s passing. For his roles in movies like Melancholia, The East, The Legend of Tarzan, Battleship, Passing, and Godzilla vs. Kong, Alexander Skarsgrd is renowned. He has also appeared in 76 episodes of True Blood as Eric Northman, in Big Little Lies as Perry Wright, in The Little Drummer Girl as Gadi Becker, and in The Stand as Randall Flagg.
Fjölnir (Claes Bang)
Amleth’s uncle and King Aurvandill’s brother is Fjölnir. He ruthlessly assassinates his brother, the King, and now must contend with his nephew’s fury as he seeks retribution. The majority of Claes Bang’s movies that have been released are Danish films, notably Essien in Locked Down and Jan Holtser in The Girl in the Spider’s Web. His television appearances have included Count Dracula in the BBC’s 2020 Dracula adaption, Sasha Mann in The Affair, and Claudio in the original Danish version of The Bridge.
Heimir the Fool (Willem Dafoe)
While Heimir works as a court official during the day, he also has an unexpected nighttime occupation that might be little more sinister than a harmless jester.
The Last Temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese, FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker in both Boondock Saints movies, and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy are just a few of Willem Dafoe’s notable film roles. Additionally, he appears in movies like Nightmare Alley, The Florida Project, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Aquaman. He has appeared on episodes of The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live, and his upcoming film appearances include Dr. Godwin Baxter in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Joe Cribbens in Dead for a Dollar, and Nuidis Vulko in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (TBA)
Additionally, the film The Northman stars Kate Dickie as Halldora, Murray McArthur as Hákon Ironbeard, Ian Whyte as the Mound Dweller, Olwen Fouéré as Ashildur Hofgythja, Ralph Ineson as Captain Volodymyr, and Icelandic singer Björk as the Seeress.
You may now watch The Northman on Peacock!
King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke)
Amleth’s father is King Aurvandill, and Queen Gudrn is his spouse. He pleads with his son to flee to keep him safe after being killed by his brother Fjölnir. The death of Aurvandill serves as the catalyst for both Amleth’s quest for vengeance against his father and the movie as a whole.
Todd Anderson in Dead Poets Society, Sergeant Jake Roenick in Assault on Precinct 13, Jesse Wallace in Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, Agent Doe in Predestination, and Reverend Ernst Toller in First Reformed are just a few of the notable roles that Ethan Hawke has played over the course of his 35-year acting career. Additionally, he has acted in sci-fi movies including Sinister, Daybreakers, Total Recall, and The Purge as well as on TV episodes like Robot Chicken and Alias. Most recently, he played “The Grabber” in “The Black Phone,” “Arthur Harrow” in “Moon Knight” on Disney+, and “Batman/Bruce Wayne” in “Batwheels,” an upcoming animated series (2022).
Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy)
Before the movie’s debut, there was some mystery surrounding the character Olga of the Birch Forest. She plays the role of Amleth’s love interest in the movie and is a witch. As Thomasin in Eggers’ The Witch, Anya Taylor-Joy attracted both critical and popular attention. She then went on to play Casey Cooke in Split, Glass, and Last Night in Soho in addition to playing Sandie in those films. She has acted as Brea in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, and Gina Gray in Peaky Blinders. Additionally, Taylor-Joy will appear in the upcoming movies The Menu and Canterbury Glass (TBA) (TBA).
Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman)
The mother of Amleth is Queen Gudrn. Amleth sets out on a mission to rescue her after she is taken captive in order to retake the throne that is rightfully his. Nicole Kidman has been at the forefront of the movie business for more than three decades, and she has acted in dramas, horror movies, and everything in between. Her most well-known roles include Gillian Owens in Practical Magic, Satine in Moulin Rouge!, Gretchen Carlson in Bombshell, Alice Harford in Eyes Wide Shut, and, most recently, Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos. She also won an Oscar for her performance as novelist Virginia Woolf in The Hours. She transitioned to television with her roles as Masha Dmitrichenko in Nine Perfect Strangers, Grace Fraser in The Undoing, and Celeste Wright in Big Little Lies (against Skarsgrd). In addition, Kidman will be seen playing Queen Atlanna once more in the upcoming movies Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) and Roar and Expats.
