From a larger-than-life, feral Viking prince in The Northman to a self-hacking, part-human, part-machine Security Unit ridden with cynicism and anxiety in ongoing Apple TV+ sci-fi comedy-action series The Murderbot, Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård isn’t new to morphing into the most eccentric, weird, and physically demanding of characters. With Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson's forthcoming romantic fantasy comedy film Wicker, which is scheduled to land on the big screen this autumn, Skarsgård, who has been acting since the age of seven but reached global stardom as vampire Eric Northman in hit HBO show True Blood, might have just outdone himself. Or so thinks the internet.
Debuting in the UK this October 30, Wicker follows the unexpected life turn that sees an ostracized, single fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) living in a rigid, gossiping medieval seaside village go from laughingstock to envied talk of the town after asking a local basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to fashion her a husband out of wicker. In a rather Nosferatu twist — funny that Skarsgård's brother, Bill, was the latest actor to bring the iconic creature to life in Robert Eggers' 2024 movie remake — the resulting wicker man is not just a sentient being, but a loving, passionate, even extraordinary partner to the woman. She is once again preyed upon by the community. This time, though, out of jealousy, as her companion's imposing silhouette causes shock, lust, and pure frenzy among residents.
