Online debate met the October 23, 2026, theatrical opening of Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård’s new romantic comedy Wicker
over the practicalities of its central premise involving a lonely fisherwoman and a man woven entirely from willow.
The dark comedy adapts Ursula Wills-Jones’s short story The Wicker Husband
. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson directed the film. It follows an ostracized fisherwoman who pays a basket weaver to construct her a companion (Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård Fell in Love With ‘Wicker’ at First Sight). The resulting wicker golem, played by Skarsgård, quickly upsets the rigid social order of a medieval village where residents are identified solely by their trades and marriages (Wicker star Alexander Skarsgard is doing the best—and freakiest—work of his career).
Building the Wicker Husband Suit at Wētā Workshop
Art director and prosthetic makeup designer Joe Dunckley, makeup and hair designer Sarah Rubano, and the teams at Wētā Workshop in New Zealand collaborated extensively to bring the titular character to life (How Alexander Skarsgård Transformed into the ‘Wicker’ Husband). Hungarian costume designer duo Tóth András Dániel and Attila Godena-Juhász worked closely with Dunckley and Rubano to ensure continuity with costumes, silhouettes, and the wicker prosthetics. Skarsgård spent a year visualizing the character before trying on the finished suit just three days prior to filming (Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård Fell in Love With ‘Wicker’ at First Sight).
The production relied almost entirely on practical effects. Visual effects artists utilized fitted blue spandex under Skarsgård’s forearms from the elbows down for specific key moments and adjusted his tear ducts and waterline (How Alexander Skarsgård Transformed into the ‘Wicker’ Husband). Digital enhancements also allowed sunlight to filter directly through the woven gaps in the wicker body (How Alexander Skarsgård Transformed into the ‘Wicker’ Husband).
Actors Address Social Media Concerns About Splinters
Trailers for Black Bear’s Wicker
circulated online, generating memes and widespread social media engagement (Wicker’s Alexander Skarsgård And Olivia Colman Settle The Debate After The Internet Can’t Stop Asking About Splinters). Viewers immediately seized on a practical question regarding the couple’s intimate relationship. Commenters across platforms raised concerns about whether the Fisherwoman would sustain injuries during physical contact (Wicker’s Alexander Skarsgård And Olivia Colman Settle The Debate After The Internet Can’t Stop Asking About Splinters). During press interviews, both lead actors addressed the viral inquiries directly, assuring audiences that superior craftsmanship prevented any such hazards (Wicker’s Alexander Skarsgård And Olivia Colman Settle The Debate After The Internet Can’t Stop Asking About Splinters).
The greatest basket maker of all time.
Alexander Skarsgård, via Cinemablend
Colman and Skarsgård concluded that because the wicker husband was fashioned by Peter Dinklage’s master basket maker character, the romance remained entirely splinter-free (Wicker’s Alexander Skarsgård And Olivia Colman Settle The Debate After The Internet Can’t Stop Asking About Splinters). The fantasy dramedy features a supporting cast that includes Elizabeth Debicki as the Tailor’s Wife, Richard E. Grant as the Doctor, Kiell Smith-Bynoe as the Innkeeper, Gustav Lindh as the Bottle Washer, and Ella Bruccoleri as the Bakerwoman. The film itself runs 105 minutes and earned wide distribution through Black Bear following its premiere in the Eccles theatre at Sundance, with cinematography by Lol Crawley, editing by Sofi Marshall, and a score by Anna Meredith.
More on Wicker
"Wicker" is… for adults 🪵 Alexander Skarsgård & Olivia Colman dish on bringing this "weird, funny, sexy" fable to life. Full interview 🔗: https://t.co/cQfWjgeiut"Wicker" hits theaters October 23. pic.twitter.com/HrfHkDbR8v