How you doin? Hey.
Great. How are you? Good. I love the film.
It was so brutal. I loved it.
That's really great.
Of course, it's not based on Hamlet.
It's based on the same Scandinavian folktale that Hamlet was based on.
But do you think that the popularisation of Shakespeare's version
impacted the way you perceive the original scandal stories?
In many ways.
Is this still an adaptation of Hamlet, would you say?
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, there's definitely
there's some things that were in
Amleth that didn't get included in here.
But there's definitely a handful of things
that are in Shakespeare's play that are not in any version of.
And was that we,
you know, do our version of for sure.
I wasn't doing sort of period pieces from a time so far away
where we have generally quite little and of information, but
it was into the realm of fantasies ever almost as much guesswork
depicting the past as they can be, depicting the future Oh.
No. No.
I mean, it.
Looks like there's there's so many things that I mean, I'm
working with the finest archaeologists and historians in the field.
And, you know, they argue about stuff you know, because because because you're
because it is a thousand years ago and they can't know, you know, so if there is
if there is a if there is a heated debate about something,
you know, I'll choose the thing that works better for my story.
But but generally, if there you know, there is a lot of,
uh, academic like consensus
synthesis consensus is that that for a lot of things about clothing
and about architecture that we decide to just, you know, whatever the consensus is,
we would generally go go towards that.
Obviously, you get some brilliant performances from your leading cast.
I mean, Alexander [Skarsgård] is so raw and committed and feral in this film.
Do you think that, that the industry had a slight misconception about him earlier
in his career? I mean, he's so handsome.
I guess sometimes when an actor comes through, that sort of looks like he does.
The industry has a habit of boxing them into being a certain type of role, but
have you always seen this type of performance in him?
And of course, I mean, there is something so committed in and on board,
like I said, about about what he brings to this part.
Yeah.
I mean, but also, this is a role that Alex has wanted
since he was a kid to some degree.
So he was not going to do anything but
deliver
perfection, which is what he he absolutely did.
And and, you know, I mean, another role where I think
he's completely fantastic is Diary of a Teenage Girl,
where he could could not be further away
from from this character, you know?
Yeah, this Skarsgårds are talented bunch.
And of course, Anya [Taylor-Joy], I mean, you've got to have had of course before.
But in that time and that kind of gap between work and phone the witch
working side now she has grown so big and works in such a whole myriad
of fantastic performances and roles Is she what was it like working with her now?
I mean, I guess you've both grown was it quite strange
kind of coming back to it to collaborate after you've had that kind of time apart
and both in that times of two notes of honed your craft to some degree?
Well, you know, we've we've kept in touch over the years and have continued
a friendship and, you know,
talk fairly often and,
you know, but yeah, we, you know, we we've definitely both gotten better
and, and it was wonderful, you know, also,
you know, me and my work in a fairly unconventional way.
So it's nice to have repeat actors who can step on a set
and know what they're getting into.
But and yet also to see how she's grown and her professionalism
is like as outstanding aside from her her craft, which is,
you know, without question.
But but, you know, she we were in these incredibly punishing environments
and she's wearing basically a potato sack and
and and she's you know, conducting herself
without, you know, in a way that's
inspiring to all the background characters who are also playing
enslaved people in potato sacks and bare feet in the freezing cold mud.
I mean, you mentioned just now that you think you've got better.
Is that
do you think you do get better as a filmmaker,
with every passing projects that excite you about where you could...
what could be in line for you in the future as well?
Yeah, I mean, look, I've only made three movies,
so I knew everything about filmmaking.
I mean, that would I mean, not it's not possible.
And and and yeah.
And I and I want to always be growing and and stretching myself.
But just very quickly, I mean, this is three for three, wonderful films now.
Is that you?
Is there something there?
Because I know some filmmakers,
when they make movies, they
they had these kind of unofficial trilogies in their mind.
This stuff is they have a continuing strong for years
as something that you believe connects all of your work.
I mean, you know, the past
is mythology, religion, the occult, you know, fairy tales, folktales.
This is all going to be a continuing theme.
But I definitely, you know, the the
The Witch, The Lighthouse are both New England folktales.
This Viking movie is something else, even though they share a lot of
things in common.
Well, I can't wait to see what's next.
Thanks so much for your time a bit. Thank you.