Filming has begun in Co Donegal for the star-studded Viking epic “The Northman.” 

The film, directed by Robert Eggers, stars Nicole Kidman, Willem Defoe, Ethan Hawke,  Alexander Skarsgård, and Icelandic singer Björk.

Film trucks have appeared in Malin Head on the Inishowen Peninsula in recent days as the production crew prepares for filming, The Irish Mirror reports.

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The stars of the movie are expected to arrive in the coming days.

“The Northman” is set in Ireland at the turn of the 10th century. Ireland’s north coast was chosen to replicate the Icelandic landscape.

Malin Head in Co Donegal. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Malin Head in Co Donegal. (Ireland's Content Pool)

Ali Farren, a Malin Head local, told Donegal Daily: “There’s a real buzz around the place and a number of locals are already employed with the film company.

“We’re told they chose the area because it looks like the same landscape as Iceland. However, we’d like to think that the sun shines in Malin a little more than it does in Iceland.”

This isn’t the first time a big blockbuster has been filmed in the area.

In 2016, Malin was used to shoot scenes for the film “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

Farren said: “We have really good infrastructure so the entire area is easy to access and the backdrop for filming is spectacular.

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“Once again it’s a great opportunity to put Malin and Donegal on the map and to show the amazing, natural scenery there is here.”

He added: “We haven’t spotted any of the stars of this film just yet but we’ll all be keeping an eye out.

“It’s a big film and some of the names understood to be in the film are huge stars so hopefully we’ll catch a glimpse of one or two of them.”