By The name Wicker Man is these days commonly associated with Nicolas Cage screaming about bees and punching women in the face while dressed as a bear, which is a shame because Robin Hardy’s 1973 original starring Christoper Lee and Edward Woodward is one of the all-time great British films. Fingers crossed then that The Wicker Tree, also directed by Hardy, will rectify that mistake.
Based on Hardy’s own well-received 2006 novel Cowboys For Christ, the film would seem to take much of its story from the original (devout Christians travel to a pagan commune and get wrapped up in their sacrificial rituals), but swapping Woodward’s policeman for two American evangelical gospel singers and Christopher Lee’s Lord Summerisle (Lee appears in this film, but his role remains unclear) for Graham McTavish’s Sir Lachlan Morrison. The recently-released trailer, which you can see at the film’s official website, hits the right notes for imagery, but it remains to be seen how Hardy will overcome the original film’s reputation and the fact that everyone will be only too aware of the fate awaiting the two protagonists, a twist that was a big part of the original film’s success.
[via Movieline]