Where Was The Northman Filmed?

Critics can’t stop raving about director Robert Eggers’ The Northman: Its epic scenes, epic budget, and just overall epic-ness.

Starring a smorgasbord of A-list actors — including Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Björk — The Northman is a historical drama based on the medieval Norse legend of Amleth, a young prince who escapes a deadly coup led by his uncle Fjölnir. Amleth is found and raised by a group of Vikings, and is eventually enslaved by his uncle; however, a prophecy foretells that Amleth will have an opportunity to seek vengeance against Fjölnir (Sound familiar? Shakespeare’s Hamlet is based on the legend of Amleth.)

So far, The Northman has received rave after rave review. Upon seeing the film, Rolling Stone’s David Fear wrote on Twitter: “Imagine a Frank Frazetta painting — not unlike that mural painted on the side of your weed dealer's Chevy van — suddenly came to life. For two full hours. That's #TheNorthman. I give it 5/5 cawing ravens.” But where in the world could such majesty exist? From Iceland to Ireland, below is everywhere The Northman was filmed.

Much Of The Northman Was Filmed In Ireland

Though Eggers’ film is set in 10th-century Iceland, principal photography began in August 2020 in Northern Ireland, and most filming took place in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Belfast Telegraph reported at the time that production crews and a set were seen in Antrim Hills, near the town of Larne. Similar scenes were spotted in ​​Torr Head in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland around the same time. Filming also took place within the Mourne Mountains in County Down, as well as Bangor, Eagle Mountain, Pigeon Rock, and Windy Gap. In addition to on-location shoots, the production also made use of Belfast Harbour Studios in Belfast.

Many scenes were also filmed in the Republic of Ireland, primarily County Donegal, also known as the “Forgotten County” due to its rural setting. Locations here include Malin Head (where scenes from Stars Wars: The Last Jedi were also shot), Inishowen Peninsula, and Five Fingers Strand, as well as Glennif Horseshoe in County Sligo.

Some Of The Northman’s Scenes Were Shot In Iceland

In addition to Ireland and Northern Ireland, principal photography also took place in East Iceland. In particular, the production made use of Akureyri and the glaciers in Vatnajökull National Park, where filming for Batman Begins and Interstellar also took place.

Speaking to the New York Times, Skarsgård described the filming process as “seven months in the mud.” Eggers admitted that it wasn’t a walk in the park: “When you’re telling the story of the Viking Age in Northern Europe, you’re going to seek punishing locations, with extreme weather and terrain,” the director said. “And that’s just what it needs to be to tell this story.”