Filmmakers Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer have faced a unique creative challenge in bringing to life “Wicker,” a feature adaptation of Ursula Wills-Jones’s short story “The Wicker Husband.” The film centers on a 17th-century woman, played by Olivia Colman, who falls in love with a man made entirely from wicker, transforming both her life and the rigid conventions of her village.
Central to the production was designing a wicker man who could convincingly serve as the romantic lead. To achieve this, the directors enlisted New Zealand’s Weta Workshop, renowned for its work on “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar.” Over 18 months, Weta’s designers collaborated with expert weavers and textile artists to create a wearable suit combining natural materials and 3-D printing. Alexander Skarsgard, cast as the wicker husband, was required to embody a character both physically appealing and functional for on-camera performance.
The suit’s face is composed of 10 prosthetic pieces carefully glued to Skarsgard to move naturally with his expressions. After extensive internal discussions, the design included distinct features such as nipples, which co-director Fischer described as “beautiful.” The filmmakers emphasized that subtle adjustments in the weaving pattern could dramatically alter the character’s appearance, resulting in a careful balancing act to avoid looking either unnatural or off-putting.
The narrative takes place in a nondescript village where Colman’s character, known as the Fisherwoman, is an outcast mocked for her livelihood and unconventional stance on marriage. She commissions the local basket maker, played by Peter Dinklage, another social outsider, to craft her a husband. The arrival of the wicker man ignites a transformative romance and prompts the villagers to reevaluate their ingrained social norms.
Securing funding for such a distinct project proved challenging amid Hollywood’s post-pandemic recovery and industry strikes in 2023. However, the strength of the script, penned by Wilson and Fischer, alongside the tangible realization of the wicker suit, helped obtain approximately half of the $20 million production budget from Topic Studios, with the remainder provided by financier Tango.
Producer Ryan Heller highlighted the importance of the practical effects, noting that the filmmakers were particularly concerned about the extent of post-production visual effects needed to render the character believable. Upon first seeing Skarsgard fully suited and performing on camera, Heller described the relief and satisfaction that the practical design effectively conveyed the intended presence with minimal digital enhancement.
The film’s trailer, released by indie distributor Black Bear in July, garnered significant attention on social media, inspiring memes and widespread buzz, including an unexpected endorsement in the form of a social media post from IKEA showcasing their wicker furniture as “husband material.” Despite audience concerns about the wicker suit causing splinters, the directors reassured viewers that proper craftsmanship and treatment prevented such issues, reflecting the basket maker’s skill within the story.
“Wicker” explores themes of societal roles and the transformative power of love through a visually intricate and conceptually unusual lens. The project exemplifies the filmmakers’ commitment to blending innovative practical effects with storytelling to challenge traditional narratives about relationships.