A Viking epic to conquer them all in ‘The Northman’

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer

Alexander Skarsgård has been dreaming about Vikings for as long as he can remember. As a boy, his grandfather would regale him with tales of their own Viking history while walking among the massive runestones on a small Swedish island called Oland. The desire to finally see a realistic depiction of Vikings on screen led him to collaborate with director Robert Eggers on what would become “The Northman,” an ambitious and brutal tale of revenge about a prince at the dawn of the 10th century that co-stars Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke and Claes Bang. It opens in theaters Friday.