Olivia Colman Orders a Wicker Husband in Bawdy Comedy Wicker

Olivia Colman has ordered a husband made of wicker.

She plays a fisherwoman shunned by her village who commissions a new spouse woven entirely from wicker, played by Alexander Skarsgård, in the film Wicker. It is described by The Hollywood Reporter as a bawdy comedy centred on sex and marriage.

The film is directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, who also wrote the script together and are married in real life, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It is adapted from The Wicker Husband, a 14-page short story by Ursula Wills-Jones. Producer Justin Lothrop brought the story to the pair to develop into a feature.

Colman leads the cast and is also credited as executive producer, a senior role that helps back and guide a film. Skarsgård plays the enchanted husband made of wicker. Peter Dinklage plays the local basket weaver who crafts him, while Elizabeth Debicki plays the leader of the village women around Colman’s character.

Skarsgård’s transformation did not rely on computer imagery alone. His wicker body is a practical suit, built for the production by an effects studio based in New Zealand, the directors told The Hollywood Reporter.

Wilson and Fischer said they wrote the first draft five years ago. They shot the film two years ago and finished it one year ago.

Wicker premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the United States and later screened at the BFI London Film Festival. It is the directing duo’s second feature film, according to IndieWire. Reviews followed after the premiere, including a Variety review titled “‘Wicker’ Review: Olivia Colman Orders a Man Made of Wood,” alongside coverage from The Hollywood Reporter and IndieWire.

What makes this stand out is the simplicity of the setup. One outcast, one village and one husband who arrives flat-packed.