Justin Hardy’s Death Casts a Shadow Over His Final “Wicker Man” Film

UK director and producer Justin Hardy died of a heart attack on July 31 at age 61, just weeks before the scheduled world premiere of *Wrath of the Gods*, the concluding entry in his father Robin Hardy’s *The Wicker Man* trilogy.

Deadline Hollywood

Robin Hardy’s 1973 cult folk-horror *The Wicker Man* was followed by the 2011 sequel *The Wicker Tree*. Justin Hardy, together with his brother Dominic, revived a long-lost concept found in their father’s attic archives, turning it into *Wrath of the Gods*. The brothers previously documented their father’s work in the 2024 documentary and book *Children of the Wicker Man*, which also revealed that their mother Caroline Hardy had acted as an uncredited executive producer on the original film.

Deadline HollywoodThe Guardian

*Wrath of the Gods* was written by Justin and Dominic Hardy and filmed entirely in Shetland. It stars Norwegian actress Christiane Schaldemose as Anna, a grieving widow who returns to the fictional Hel Island to bury her husband after his suicide, only to be ostracised by locals and drawn into a mystery of missing children and a dark history of familial abuse. The cast also includes Francis Magee (known from *Game of Thrones*). Deadline notes that the film will world-premiere at Frightfest in London on August 28.

Deadline Hollywood

The director’s family released a public statement expressing devastation and pride in Hardy’s final work. No additional governmental or institutional comments have been reported.

The Guardian

• October 30, 1964 – Justin Hardy is born in London.

Deadline Hollywood

• July 31 – Hardy dies of a heart attack, weeks before his film’s debut.

Deadline Hollywood

• August 28 – *Wrath of the Gods* is slated to premiere at Frightfest in London.

The Guardian

*Data & Statistics* (attributed): The Guardian lists 45 directing credits for Hardy; Deadline describes his career as encompassing “near 50-credits” across drama, documentary and rom-com projects, including a Bafta-nominated *The Relief of Belsen* and an Emmy-nominated hybrid work *The Last Dragon*.

The Guardian