One of the strangest love stories of the year arrives in theaters this Friday. Wicker, the Black Bear romantic fantasy starring Olivia Colman as an ostracized fisherwoman who commissions a husband made entirely of wicker, opens in limited US theaters on October 23, 2026, before expanding nationwide on October 30.
Written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson and adapted from Ursula Wills-Jones’s short story The Wicker Husband, the film has been building quiet momentum since its Sundance premiere earlier this year — where Colman herself called it “top three” among the scripts she has ever read.
The Plot: A Love Story, Woven From Scratch
Colman plays a lonely fisherwoman, mocked and ostracized by her conservative village, who pays the local basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to weave her a husband. Alexander Skarsgård plays the result: a wicker man who proves far more extraordinary — and far more alive — than anyone expected. As one villager jokes in the trailer, “there’s absolutely no shame in living out your remaining days alone” — advice the fisherwoman defies.
The premise is deliberately absurd. The tagline is “a hard man is good to find.” But beneath the comedy runs a sharper story: when the wicker husband’s arrival sparks desire, jealousy, and upheaval, the village’s outrage says as much about social convention as it does about the marriage itself. It is an adult romantic fantasy and comedic fable — not, as some viewers initially guessed, a remake of The Wicker Man.
The Cast
- Olivia Colman as the fisherwoman
- Alexander Skarsgård as the wicker husband
- Peter Dinklage as the basket weaver
- Elizabeth Debicki as the tailor’s wife
- Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan, Richard E. Grant, Ben Ashenden in supporting roles
The star-driven cast gives the film genuine awards-season crossover potential, and the craft credentials are equally heavyweight: cinematography by Lol Crawley and an original score by Anna Meredith.
The Weta-Built Wicker Husband
The trailer’s biggest talking point is the craft. Weta Workshop spent roughly 18 months designing and fabricating a fully wearable wicker suit for Skarsgård, built with prosthetic masks and only limited digital touches. The practical-effects work — and the intimate scenes staged within the suit, which required extensive choreography and an intimacy coordinator — has become a signature part of the film’s identity since the trailer’s July debut.
Black Bear UK released the official trailer on July 30, 2026; it quickly spread through movie communities, where searches for “Wicker movie” spiked alongside it.
Release Details
- October 23, 2026 — limited US theatrical release
- October 30, 2026 — nationwide US expansion
- October 30, 2026 — UK and Irish cinemas
Black Bear acquired the North American rights in February following the film’s Sundance debut, positioning the star-driven, craft-heavy film as a fall conversation piece.
What It Means — and What’s Next
Fantasy romance is rarely this odd, and Wicker arrives in a crowded late-October corridor with genuine word-of-mouth. The combination of Colman’s prestige credibility, Skarsgård’s committed physical performance, and Weta’s practical craft gives it a profile few indie films enjoy — and the adult fable angle gives audiences something that doesn’t look like anything else in theaters.
The limited release this Friday will be the first real test of whether trailer curiosity converts into ticket sales ahead of the nationwide expansion a week later.
FAQ
When does Wicker release?
Wicker opens in limited US theaters on October 23, 2026, and expands nationwide on October 30, 2026. UK and Irish cinemas also get it on October 30.
Who stars in Wicker?
Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, and Elizabeth Debicki, with Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan, Richard E. Grant, and Ben Ashenden.
What is Wicker about?
An ostracized fisherwoman commissions a local basketmaker to create a husband made entirely of wicker; when he comes to life, his arrival upends the village.
Is Wicker a remake of The Wicker Man?
No. It is an original adult romantic fantasy and comedic fable, based on Ursula Wills-Jones’s short story The Wicker Husband.
Who directed Wicker?
Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay.