Anchor Bay Films’ President Bill Clark has released news that they have acquired the U.S., Canadian, and U.K. rights to the follow-up to the 1973 horror classic “The Wicker Man”, “The Wicker Tree.”
According to the press release, “The Wicker Tree” reunites producer Peter Snell with the original director, Robin Hardy. The film will be directed by Hardy and based on his novel “Cowboys for Christ.” The film will be produced by UK company British Lion (which also produced the original “Wicker Man”). “The Wicker Tree” will be released theatrically in early 2012.
“The original Wicker Man set a standard for literate horror cinema that is still unsurpassed,” said Clark. “Now, with The Wicker Tree, we’re thrilled to present the follow up of this haunting tale to a new generation.”
Here’s the official synopsis of “The Wicker Tree”:
“The Wicker Tree” tells the story of singer Beth (newcomer Brittania Nicol) and her cowboy friend Steve (Henry Garrett, “The Bill,” “Skins”), two virginal Texans who come to Scotland to spread the gospel. These two innocents don’t know what they’re getting into as they find themselves trying to spread their chastity message at the estate owned by Sir Lachlan Morrison (Graham McTavish, “Rambo,” the upcoming “The Hobbit” films), who has revived ancient local religious practices when an accident at the nuclear power plant he runs rendered the area men infertile. The Wicker Tree was produced by Peter Snell and Peter Watson-Wood and executive produced by Alistair Gourlay.
Lee, who played the mysterious Lord Summerisle in the original (in a career that includes Count Dracula and the Frankenstein monster in the classic Hammer films, Count Dooku in” Star Wars Episodes II” & “III,” and Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy as well as the upcoming pair of films based on “The Hobbit”), returns again in a dramatic cameo as the “Old Man.” Rounding out the cast are Jacqueline Leonard (“Holby City,” “The Bill”) as Lady Delila Morrison, Clive Russell (“Sherlock Holmes,” “The 13th Warrior”) as Beame and Honeysuckle Weeks (“Foyle’s War” and numerous other UK TV projects) as Lolly.
