The Wicker Tree

The Wicker Tree (2011)

Accept our sacrifice

Gospel singer Beth and her cowboy boyfriend Steve leave Texas to preach door-to-door in Scotland. When, after initial abuse, they are welcomed with joy and elation to Tressock, the border fiefdom of Sir Lachlan Morrison, they're about to learn the real meaning of sacrifice.

Date of release
2011-08-27
TMDB
3.9 / 10 (62)
Runtime
1h 36m
Genres
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Director
Robin Hardy

Casting

Interesting facts

  • Based on: Cowboys for Christ
  • Filmed in: Edinburgh

The Wicker Tree is a 2011 British horror film written and directed by Robin Hardy and starring Graham McTavish and Jacqueline Leonard. It is a standalone sequel to Hardy's 1973 film The Wicker Man and contains many direct parallels and allusions, and is intended as a companion piece which explores the same themes.

Production

In 2002, it was reported that Hardy was working on a film entitled The Riding of the Laddie, said to be in the same genre as The Wicker Man. Sean Astin had signed on as the male lead, with Christopher Lee, LeAnn Rimes and Vanessa Redgrave set to play major roles. Lee had passed the screenplay on to Astin while the two were working on the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Ewan McGregor also read the script, and requested a cameo appearance.

Hardy was ultimately unable to secure funding, and the film was cancelled. He then adapted his screenplay into a novel, which was published as Cowboys for Christ. Hardy felt that writing the novel gave him a much clearer idea of what he wanted to do, and he eventually adapted the novel into the screenplay which was used for The Wicker Tree.

Originally, Hardy wrote the part of Sir Lachlan Morrison for Christopher Lee, who played Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man. While filming the newest Hammer production The Resident in New Mexico, Lee injured his back when he tripped over power cables on set. Although very disappointed, Hardy gave the role intended for Lee to Graham McTavish, the actor who had originally been cast as Beame, the Morrisons' butler. Clive Russell plays Beame instead.

Joan Collins was originally set to play Lady Delia Morrison when Lee was to play Sir Lachlan Morrison. However, when Lee injured himself and was replaced by the much younger McTavish, Collins was similarly replaced with a younger actress, Jacqueline Leonard.

Filming was due to start in September 2007, but the film was delayed for financial reasons. It was later announced the film would shoot from April 2008 in Dumfries and Galloway. A week before the shoot, Dumfries and Galloway Council announced the filming had been stopped due to financial reasons. Filming eventually started in July 2009 in Edinburgh, Haddington; Gorebridge; Midlothian; and Dallas.

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