It has been six years since Robert Eggers shocked audiences with his debut, the audacious and daring supernatural horror movie, THE WITCH. Despite stark cinematography, a thick, nearly incomprehensible antiquated dialogue style, and an unrelentingly bleak narrative, THE WITCH became a crossover horror success. Audiences loved it, and word of mouth made it an experience that appealed to more than just a hardcore "early Americana" horror crowd. Families across America adopted black goats while butter profits soared to wild new heights [citation needed].

Now Eggers is back, and he is expanding his focus well beyond witchcraft. (But he's not leaving witches behind). His new film, THE NORTHMAN, hits theaters on April 22 and focuses more on action than supernatural horror, though a little supernatural horror seems likely as well.

For a peek at what we mean, check out the trailer below.

While THE WITCH came out way back in 2016, that doesn’t mean its creator, Robert Eggers, has been sitting around doing nothing for the last six years. He also made the delightfully weird movie THE LIGHTHOUSE. That one starred Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe as two lighthouse keepers who slowly go insane thanks to the isolating effects of weather, booze, and perhaps some supernatural forces. Trapped on a small island for much longer than expected, they start to really lose it.

While THE LIGHTHOUSE did not enjoy THE WITCH’s clear cultural success, it did resonate with a core group of fans. The movie is, if you can believe it, even more esoteric than the previous movie by Eggers. Filmed in black and white on antiquated equipment, the constrained images of THE LIGHTHOUSE, and the movie's very story, can be somewhat difficult to explain. Is it horror? Is it a drama, is it hilarious? (Robert Pattinson has joked about trying to convince the Golden Globes to nominate it as a comedy while also noting that audiences do laugh at segments.) The film is difficult to classify. And it does not have Black Phillip, but it does have a very ornery seagull.

If you watched the trailer above, then you already know what’s up with THE NORTHMAN. It’s an epic Viking revenge film that looks to be heavy on action and bloodshed. While THE WITCH and THE LIGHTHOUSE are both relatively small films, this one is going to explode off the screen with proper bombast.

It’s difficult to imagine a more exciting prospect than Robert Eggers molding all his gleeful weirdness into this blend of genres. A Viking version of CONAN THE BARBARIAN is enticing enough. But with Eggers at the helm, you just know this is going to be something special. Leave the kids at home for this one.

THE WITCH introduced the world to the now-ubiquitous Anya Taylor-Joy. She returns here, and since she and director Robert Eggers are no longer newcomers, they're joined by an impressive roster of familiar names. You have Ethan Hawke. You have Nicole Kidman. Even pop legend Björk, who swore off acting after her experience making DANCER IN THE DARK, plays a role! And then you have Alexander Skarsgård as The Northman himself, ripped like crazy and cutting through fools left and right. This is going to be awesome.

THE NORTHMAN opens on April 22!

All images courtesy of Focus Features.