Vikings Galore!

Skoll! New book goes behind the scenes on The Northman

The Northman: A Call to the Gods takes Viking lovers deep into director Robert Eggers’ creative process.

by Jeff Spry
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

Depicting the savagery and mysticism of 10th-century Viking culture, director Robert Eggers’ haunting historical epic The Northman is the bold tale of a prince’s revenge injected with Shakespearean overtones.

Insight Editions’ The Northman: A Call to the Gods unveils a behind-the-scenes look at the research required to stage this slaughter-fueled saga starring Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Claes Bang, Willem Dafoe, and Björk.

Visionary British director Robert Eggers is well known for atmospheric depictions of history in movies like 2015’s The Witch and 2019’s The Lighthouse. The Northman follows that same cinematic path with the bloodlust of a Scandinavian royal avenging his murdered father.

Written by Simon Abrams, A Call to the Gods is a 160-page hardcover guide to the making of this $90 million Icelandic adventure using concept art, fresh interviews, storyboards, on-set stills, and Eggers’ own inspirations.

Eggers instills his latest film with a dreamlike artistry that transports us into new depths of Norse mythology without flinching from the brutality of its berserker warriors and spiritual quest to attain Valhalla’s afterlife.

Known for films like Before Midnight, Gattaca, and Disney’s Moon Knight, Ethan Hawke portrays King Aurvandil with simmering intensity beneath his leather gauntlets and fur robes.

A muscled-up Alexander Skarsgård plays the brooding Amleth, a prince hellbent on killing his uncle for retribution. A Call to the Gods delves into how his wardrobe and weapons helped him enter the mindset of his character.

The Northman: A Call to the Gods is now available at bookstores and online outlets.

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