Shetland-set Wicker Man sequel to premiere on Friday
A FILM shot in Shetland which acts as a follow-up to The Wicker Man is set to premiere this week.
However, there has been sadness after its director Justin Hardy died from a heart attack just a couple of weeks ago, aged 61.
The film, entitled Wrath of the Gods, will be premiered at FrightFest in London on 28 August.
It was written by both Justin and brother Dominic Hardy, whose father Robin Hardy directed the original Wicker Man film.
Wrath of the Gods is inspired by a concept discovered in an unearthed script written by Robin Hardy.
The original folk-horror film was released in 1973 and has ended up becoming a cult British classic.
Robin Hardy also directed the follow-up Wicker Tree in 2011, around five years before he passed away.
Wrath of the Gods is viewed as a third-part in the Wicker Man series.
The cast is led by Francis Magee and Christiane Schaldemose but features a number of locals, such as Lynsey Rendall and Martha Robertson.
A blurb on the FrightFest website says: “The North Sea island of Hel is cloaked in mystery, myth and misogyny.
“Isolated because the local community despise her, Anna is torn between the ghosts of the past and the gods of the present as an ill wind blows through, and young girls vanish.
“These missing children, her husband’s death and her own trauma become inextricably linked as Anna is haunted by unsettling flashbacks, forcing her to confront dark family secrets lurking in the shadows before they can devour her daughter too.”
Shetland News reported back in 2015 that Robin Hardy was keen to develop a new film called Wrath of the Gods which would be filmed in the isles.
He hinted that Up Helly Aa would feature in the film, and going by the trailer for Wrath of the Gods it looks as if this vision has come to fruition.
Dominic Hardy told NME recently that Wrath of the Gods “has more focus and is a very, very serious film”.
“It’s perhaps much more consciously designed to have suspense be built around an ethical problem – the abduction of children on a small island,” he is reported to have said.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
