To celebrate the 50th anniversary of director Robin Hardy‘s folk-horror classic, THE WICKER MAN, Studiocanal has announced a brand new 4K restoration of the film, as well as a series of special events and releases, beginning this Spring and culminating with an exclusive 4K Ultra HD Collector’s Edition release on 4th September 2023.
Studiocanal have restored all 3 cuts of THE WICKER MAN in honour of the 50th anniversary. THE WICKER MAN: Final Cut will be released in UK cinemas with accompanying 50th Anniversary event footage on 21st June 2023, the Summer Solstice.
In the 50 years since its original release, THE WICKER MAN has achieved true cult status as one of the most revered horror films in cinema history, despite a difficult production and heavily cut original theatrical release. The search for the fabled missing scenes has only added to the myth surrounding a film that still inspires filmmakers to this day.
THE WICKER MAN was directed by Robin Hardy and has a cast featuring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and Diane Cilento.
Telling the chilling story of a puritan Police Sergeant who arrives on a remote Scottish Island in search of a missing girl only to find the Pagan locals claiming she never existed, THE WICKER MAN is also much celebrated for its soundtrack, composed by Paul Giovanni and overseen by Gary Carpenter, featuring haunting reworkings of traditional British folk songs.
The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film by John Walsh, the definitive guide to the making of the landmark horror movie, will be published on 24 October 2023 in the UK and USA from Titan Books.
On 13th January 1973, as a thank you to the local people of the small Scottish town where THE WICKER MAN had recently been filmed, a one-night-only showing of the then unreleased film took place in a little cinema in Newton Stewart at 3pm.
That cinema is still proudly in operation to this day and, half a century on, THE WICKER MAN will now return to the very same cinema for the World Premiere of the new 50th anniversary 4k restoration. BOOK TICKETS.
The event will be Introduced by film experts, before a preview of the new documentary, Return to Summerisle, about the local celebrations surrounding the film’s anniversary. THE WICKER MAN will then be screened followed by a Q&A with the Olivier Award-winning actress Lesley Mackie who played Daisy in the film and sang several of the songs on the soundtrack.
Taking place at Picturehouse Central in London on 1 May 2023, the 50th Anniversary Event will include a star-studded on-stage celebration of the film before a screening of THE WICKER MAN: FINAL CUT in 4K. BOOK TICKETS.
Presented by Edith Bowman, the on-stage show will include guest of honour, Britt Ekland, associate musical director from the film Gary Carpenter, the family of the director Robin Hardy and fans of THE WICKER MAN: acclaimed writer/actor Reece Shearsmith, Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro via video message plus more special guests to be announced.
There will be an exclusive musical performance by Broadside Hacks, covering 4 tracks from the iconic soundtrack.
Also opening at Picturehouse Central on May 1st will be a special art exhibition: the May Day series, featuring art by Joe Machine and words by Dr Steven O’Brien, and inspired in part by THE WICKER MAN. The exhibition will be free to enter and run throughout May and June.
