The Wicker Man
Short description
The Wicker Man follows Edward Malus, a police officer who is drawn to a remote private island after receiving a letter from Willow, a former partner, asking for help finding her missing daughter. On Summersisle, the only settlement on the island, Edward meets a closed community whose inhabitants live by old customs and follow a rigid matriarchal order under the guidance of Sister Summersisle. As he questions the residents and searches for the girl, he finds that the local people are concealing a great deal, and that their ceremonies and symbols point to something beyond a simple disappearance.
Neil LaBute directed and wrote the screenplay, the fourth feature he directed after Nurse Betty, Possession and The Shape of Things. Nicolas Cage, who also served as a producer, plays Edward Malus, and the cast includes Ellen Burstyn as Sister Summersisle, Kate Beahan as Sister Willow, Frances Conroy, Molly Parker and Leelee Sobieski. The production involved 34 credited cast members and 169 credited crew, and it was made with a budget of 40 million US dollars.
The film was released in 2006 and runs 102 minutes. It is a horror, mystery and thriller picture whose worldwide box office of about 39 million dollars fell short of its production budget. The ratings reflect a largely negative reception: 3.8 out of 10 on IMDb from 75,000 votes, 4.3 out of 10 on TMDB from roughly 1,500 votes, and a film critics' rating of 3.7 out of 10 from 107 reviews, so the professional and audience scores sit close together.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is dedicated to the late musician Johnny Ramone, who introduced Nicolas Cage to the original 1973 film by Robin Hardy.
- Robin Hardy, the director and screenwriter of the original film, and Christopher Lee, who starred in it, were very skeptical of this remake. Hardy was so unwilling to be associated with this "new production" that he demanded his name be removed from the credits.
- Nicolas Cage vehemently disagreed with the opinion that the film turned out – albeit unintentionally – funny, and stated that he and director and screenwriter Neil LaBute specifically filmed an absurdist black comedy, and that the film should be evaluated from that perspective.
- Edward Woodward, the main star of the original film, was offered one of the roles. Woodward declined, but stated that he was surprised by the quality of the new script.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
