The short version
- Justin Hardy, son of Robin Hardy, died at 61 shortly after finishing a new Wicker Man sequel.
- The film, Wrath of the Gods, completes a trilogy using story concepts found in the original director's archives.
- Hardy’s career included a Bafta nomination and a documentary about his family’s complex relationship with the 1973 classic.
British filmmaker Justin Hardy has died at the age of 61, just three weeks before the scheduled world premiere of his latest project. The director passed away on Friday following a heart attack, according to reports from the BBC. His family released a statement expressing devastation over the loss, noting that he remained full of life and energized by the upcoming release until the very end.
Hardy’s final work, titled Wrath of the Gods, serves as the third installment in the folk-horror saga begun by his father, Robin Hardy. The narrative concept for this sequel was discovered among archives in the attic of their former family home. Justin Hardy co-wrote the script with his brother Dominic, aiming to complete the trilogy that began with the cult classic released in 1973.
The new film is set in Shetland and features Norwegian actor Christiane Schaldemose. The plot follows a woman who returns to a North Sea island to bury her husband after he takes his own life. As children begin to disappear, the local community ostracizes her, viewing her presence as a harbinger of bad luck and evil.
Hardy maintained a diverse career spanning four decades, with directing credits that included dramas, documentaries, and romantic comedies for both cinema and television. He received a Bafta nomination in 2007 for The Relief of Belsen, a television drama concerning the liberation of a concentration camp. More recently, he co-wrote and directed Children of the Wicker Man, a 2024 documentary exploring the production of the original film and its impact on their family.
The original 1973 movie, starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, remains a significant touchstone in horror cinema. Critics have long praised its distinctiveness within the genre. The upcoming sequel is set to debut at London’s FrightFest horror film festival on August 28, marking a posthumous premiere for the director who helped preserve his father’s legacy.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- The Guardian US↗Justin Hardy, director of Wicker Man sequel, dies three weeks before its premiere
