The Next Robert Eggers Film Should Be About Cú Chulainn
I think Robert Eggers should make an adaptation of The Táin Bó Cúailnge, or even just a self contained section of it focusing on Cú Chulainn's defence of Ulster and his duel with Ferdiad Or the final battle of Cú Chulainn where he tied himself to a rock as he was dying so as to die standing up . After The Northman, it feels like the natural next step. Eggers has a unique talent for recreating not just the history of ancient cultures, but the way people actually understood the world where gods, curses, omens and magic were accepted as real. Pre-Christian Ireland is the perfect setting for that approach.
The Táin is arguably Ireland's equivalent of the Iliad, yet it's barely known outside Ireland and has never received the epic adaptation it deserves. Visually, if portrayed correctly(Which I believe Egger's would do), it would be unique in modern cinema: Iron Age ringforts, chariots, cattle raids, druids, torcs, misty bogs and ancient forests instead of medieval castles and generic fantasy kingdoms, interdimensional Sí entities). Even the warriors themselves would look strikingly different, with distinctive hairstyles like the Cúlán haircut, lime-stiffened hair, ornate moustaches, bright clothing, decorated shields and chariots racing across the landscape. Their entire warrior culture feels wild, ritualistic and almost alien compared to the medieval settings we're used to seeing on screen. And you know Egger's would really zoom in on how colourful and strange Iron Age Ireland looked.
Most of all, Cú Chulainn is a great protagonist. He's heroic, tragic and deeply unsettling all at once. His ríastrad (battle frenzy) could could be beautiful and terrifying if handled with Eggers' grounded, almost horror-like style, while the duel with Ferdiad is one of the greatest tragic confrontations in mythology. I honestly can't think of another modern director who would treat Irish mythology with the same level of historical authenticity and respect while embracing just how strange, beautiful and genuinely otherworldly this culture was.