Alexander Skarsgård's Dark Fantasy Epic Officially Gets a Second Chance on Paramount+

A few days ago, it was confirmed that the long-gestating World War Z sequel is finally moving ahead with Brad Pitt back in the lead role and Edward Berger set to direct. Previously, David Fincher was attached to helm the project, a sequel to Pitt's 2013 hit, which survived a particularly difficult production. The original World War Z, directed by Marc Forster, emerged as a sturdy hit with $540 million worldwide against a budget that reportedly escalated to around $270 million — the movie was successful at the box office, but given that budget, it barely broke even. However, World War Z has been incredibly successful in its post-release era, which no doubt contributed to a sequel being greenlit. Now, another film that did so-so business at the box office but found major success on home video has re-emerged on the streaming charts.

In fact, it's currently among the most watched movies globally on Paramount+, according to FlixPatrol. More interestingly, it's competing with none other than World War Z. The movie in question was released theatrically in 2022, grossing $75 million worldwide against a reported budget of $70 million. Not long after its release on the PVOD market, however, it became clear that the film was on an unusually positive trajectory. Reacting to its home-video success, director Robert Eggers said in an interview with The Daily Beast that while he was disappointed that the film was released on PVOD after a short theatrical window, he was glad that it had found an audience.

The Brutal Epic Received Excellent Reviews

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By now you've probably guessed that we're talking about The Northman, Eggers' dark-fantasy epic based on Norse mythology. Starring Alexander Skarsgård as a vengeful Viking, the movie also featured Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, Ethan Hawke, Claes Bang, and others. It now holds a "Certified Fresh" 90% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, "A bloody revenge epic and breathtaking visual marvel, The Northman finds filmmaker Robert Eggers expanding his scope without sacrificing any of his signature style." According to FlixPatrol, The Northman is currently the third most-popular movie on the global Paramount+ chart.