Wētā Workshop weaves a wicker husband for new film “Wicker”

The 17th‑century romance “Wicker,” opening in cinemas this week, pairs Olivia Colman’s fisherwoman with a husband made entirely of wicker, played by Alexander Skarsgård.

To turn that improbable premise into a screen‑ready lead, Australian directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer turned to New Zealand’s Wētā Workshop.

Wētā’s team of weavers, modelers and sculptors spent 18 months developing the character, a process that involved lead weaver Jasmin van Lith and a host of other artisans.

Prosthetic makeup designer Joe Dunckley told RNZ’s Nine to Noon the job felt like a “dream job” and a “unique creative” challenge because the studio is better known for monsters and aliens.

“For us at Wētā we’re known for science fiction and fantasy work – monsters and aliens – but this is a romantic lead, something entirely different and he’s not made of flesh and bone, so we couldn’t turn to the same sorts of materials we would normally,” Dunckley explained.

The workshop had to devise new methods to construct a wicker figure that still allowed Skarsgård’s expressive face to shine through.

“He’s got a real unique and recognisable expressive quality, and we wanted him to be able to emote through that,” Dunckley added.

Kate Hawley, an Oscar‑ and BAFTA‑nominated designer known for “Frankenstein,” also contributed to the project, underscoring Wētā’s continued involvement in high‑profile productions.

While the studio’s “Lord of the Rings” legacy is often cited, the “Wicker” effort shows the workshop’s willingness to tackle a romantic lead made of basketry rather than beasts.

Audiences can hear more about the making of the wicker man in an audio interview hosted by RNZ.