Robert Eggers was able to create such a unique moviegoing experience with well received horror films like The Witch and The Lighthouse. Eggers now has a new film coming out within the next few years and this time it’ll be an epic dealing with Norse mythology. The film is set to have an all star cast with some of the stars of Eggers’ previous work appearing, however it was announced that one big name has dropped off the list. Best known for the role of Pennywise in Stephen King‘s IT, Bill Skarsgard has announced his departure from The Northman. 

Skarsgard made the announcement during an interview with Collider regarding his next film for Netflix, The Devil All the Time. The actor stated that the reason for his departure was due to scheduling conflicts that have been caused by COVID-19. He felt distraught by his departure and said, “It’s a big shame. Eggers is one of the great filmmakers out there and working with my brother…I don’t want to talk about it, it’s going to make me burst into tears”.

While it is disappointing that Bill Skarsgard will not get to work in Eggers’ newest epic, it is at least reassuring that the departure was due to scheduling conflicts. It could be very likely that Skarsgard and Eggers will be able to collaborate on a film project in the near future without a pandemic making things much more difficult for filmmakers at this time. Plus, Eggers still has an incredible cast lined up with returning favorites like Anya Taylor-Joy and Willem Dafoe, along with Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman. Either way, Eggers’ The Northman still seems like a promising film to look forward to despite the disappointment of Skarsgard’s departure.