Robert Eggers’ The Northman footage drops at CinemaCon; Focus teases lineup

Last Updated on October 24, 2023

Focus Features was out at CinemaCon in full force, with an exclusive preview of some of their upcoming titles. The most-hyped movie they showed footage from is definitely Robert Eggers’ The Northman. A Viking epic based on the Scandanavian legend that inspired Hamlet, Alexander Skarsgård plays our Viking prince hero. His father, played by Ethan Hawke, is murdered by Claes Bang’s usurper to the throne, leading to exile for our prince and estrangement from his queen mother, played by Nicole Kidman. So he goes for bloody (and I mean bloody) revenge. Anya Taylor-Joy is his love interest.

This really looks like a great movie. Eggers adopts a different style for this from his other films. It’s in big, bold color (as opposed to the black & white of The Lighthouse), and nothing at all about this movie is muted. As a result, it simultaneously looks like his craziest and most accessible movie. Unfortunately, the footage we saw was not final, but they could release the mock-up trailer we saw in theatres tomorrow, and it would blow audiences away. It comes out in 2022.

We also got the second trailer for Last Night in Soho, which reveals more of the plot. However, the big reveal could be considered a SPOILER, so keep reading if you want to know more after the break.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s character is killed in 1960’s London by her lover, a London tough guy played by Matt Smith. In the present, Thomasin McKenzie tries to bring the older version of Smith, played by the legendary Terrence Stamp, to justice, but nothing is as it seems. This looks like a blast, and I’m excited to see it next month at TIFF.

Speaking of TIFF, we also got a look at Kenneth Branagh’s sixties drama, Belfast, starring Judi Dench, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan and Ciarán Hinds, and is apparently semi-autobiographical. It’s shot in black and white and looks like a sweet family drama. Finally, we also got a tiny taste of a movie I’m particularly excited about – Downton Abbey 2: A New Era. Not much is revealed except for the fact that all of your favorites, including Maggie Smith, are back. Unfortunately, that one only comes out next March.

So there you have it – another great panel from CinemaCon. Check out all of our coverage here!