In brief
Robin Hardy’s beloved 1973 classic, The Wicker Man, had been promised as the opening chapter of a trilogy, but the project stalled when the director passed in 2016. His two sons, Justin and Dominic Hardy, discovered a cache of scripts, letters and storyboards that included the screenplay for the final film, Wrath of the Gods. The family‑built story now sets a grieving widow against the mythic backdrop of Shetland’s island of Hel, blending Viking lore with ghostly horror. Premiering at FrightFest, the film marks a mournful yet celebratory tribute to both the late director and his mother, who was the uncredited producer of the original film. The project illustrates the power of archival preservation and the enduring influence of pioneering British horror on global audiences.
In 2026, the Hardy brothers finally delivered on a dream that had begun in the 1970s. Robin Hardy envisioned his 1973 horror film The Wicker Man as the first part of a trilogy that would examine the clash between modern rationalism and ancient myth. He had completed a second film, The Wicker Tree, in 2011, but died in 2016 before he could finish the third instalment.
Justin and Dominic Hardy—who also released a book and documentary, Children Of The Wicker Man—found a trove of family archives tucked away in their father’s old home. The collection included letters, scripts, and storyboards detailing Robin’s original vision for the final film, titled Wrath of the Gods.
Drawing on the initial concept of a theme park on an Icelandic volcano and re‑imagined for Shetland, the brothers crafted a story about a widowed woman who returns to Hel to bury her husband, only to confront a community that worships the Norse gods and experiences mysterious childhood disappearances. Production took place in Shetland in spring 2025, with local actors filling many roles.
Despite the creative triumph, the project was shadowed by Justin Hardy’s untimely death at age 61, announced last month. The film will premiere at FrightFest in London on Friday, a ceremony that will honor not only the completed trilogy but also the late director’s mother, Caroline, whose uncredited executive production role in the original film went largely unrecognised until now.
The premiere marks a poignant moment for the Hardy family and the wider horror community, celebrating a legacy that has shaped a generation of filmmakers while underscoring the importance of preserving cinematic history for future generations.
