Black Bear has acquired North American rights to “Wicker” in a competitive situation and, according to the official release, is “committing to a meaningful theatrical release of the film this year.” The film, from writer/directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston, was warmly received out of the recent Sundance Film Festival, where it had its premiere.
Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage and Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, and Nabhaan Rizwan star in the film, which is based on the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills.
According to the official synopsis, “Wicker” is “an audacious comedic fable about sex, marriage, and social convention, centering on a wholly original love story. When the ostracized Fisherwoman (Colman) commissions a wicker husband from the local Basketmaker (Dinklage), her unexpected romance with the creation (Skarsgård) sparks jealousy and threatens the village’s social order.”
The below-the-line talent on “Wicker” is just as impressive, with cinematographer Lol Crawley, winning production designer Renátó Cseh, and costume designers András Dániel Tóth and Attila Godena-Juhász “creating an anachronistic folk world rich in character detail,” and composer Anna Meredith “unified the tone with a bold, recorder-driven score.” Skarsgård’s fully practical Wicker Husband suit was created by Joe Dunckley and Weta Workshop.
Katie Anderson, Executive Vice President of US Acquisitions for Black Bear, said in an official statement, “We were immediately struck by the sheer originality of ‘Wicker.’ From its storytelling to the best-in-class performances led by Olivia, this is a film that refuses to be ignored. It’s provocative, darkly funny, and unexpectedly tender in all the right ways. We’re thrilled to bring this bold vision to audiences across North America.”
“We are thrilled to be sharing the incredible work of Olivia, Alexander, Peter, Elizabeth and the whole cast and crew with a wider audience, and feel so fortunate to be partnering with a company who really gets it,” said Wilson and Fischer in an official statement. “The team at Black Bear have led our conversations with a true passion for the film and a fearlessness that we all need from distributors in this moment.”
The film was financed by Tango and Topic Studios with Tim Headington, Lia Buman, Ryan Heller and Michael Bloom producing alongside South of The River’s Colman, Ed Sinclair, and Tom Carver, Yoki, Inc’s David Michôd and Brad Zimmerman, and Justin Lothrop and Brent Stiefel for Votiv who originated and financed development, as well as Andrea Cornwell and Oliver Kassman. Executive producers include Ian Stratford, Jasmine Daghighian, Jennifer Westin, Neil Shah, Max Silva and Lina Stroud.
CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group arranged the film’s financing and represented the film’s domestic rights. Black Bear is handling international sales and will be releasing the film in the UK.
