Movies
Anchor Bay Announces 2012 Theatrical Run for ‘The Wicker Tree’
In 1973, the face of modern horror cinema changed forever with the release of The Wicker Man, starring screen legend Christopher Lee and veteran character actor Edward Woodward. Now, nearly 40 years later, the time has come for a new offering…
Anchor Bay Films has officially announced the acquisition of the much-anticipated follow-up The Wicker Tree (mini-review). The film reunites producer Peter Snell with the original helmer, Robin Hardy. Directed by Hardy, based on his acclaimed novel “Cowboys for Christ,” and produced by venerable UK company British Lion (who also produced the original), The Wicker Tree will be released theatrically in early 2012. Anchor Bay Films has acquired all rights in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. to 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.”
Recent comments from producer Jason Blum suggested that a retool was in order when last year’s The Exorcist: Believer wasn’t as successful as Blumhouse and Universal hoped. That certainly seems to be the case, though, as Deadline reports tonight that Mike Flanagan is in talks to direct the next Exorcist movie.
Director David Gordon Green was initially on board to direct an entire trilogy of new movies in the franchise, with The Exorcist: Believer intended to be only the first film in that three-film sequel series. Originally set to hit theaters on April 18, 2025, sequel The Exorcist: Deceiver was delayed when Green left the project.
If talks come to fruition, Flanagan will take over, likely steering the franchise in a new direction.
The first film in the trilogy was released theatrically on October 13, 2023, with Leslie Odom Jr. starring alongside a returning Ellen Burstyn from the original classic.
In Believer, “Since the death of his pregnant wife in a Haitian earthquake 12 years ago, Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom, Jr.) has raised their daughter Angela (Lidya Jewett) on his own.
“But when Angela and her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum) disappear in the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of what happened to them, it unleashes a chain of events that will force Victor to confront the nadir of evil and, in his terror and desperation, seek out the only person alive who has witnessed anything like it before.”
The final moments of The Exorcist: Believer brought Linda Blair’s Regan MacNeil back into the fold, seeming to suggest that the legacy character could return in future installments.
As for Flanagan, the horror filmmaker has Life of Chuck on the way. Flanagan previously helmed Stephen King adaptations Doctor Sleep and Gerald’s Game, he’s also known for titles including Ouija: Origin of Evil and Oculus, along with The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Midnight Club and other series.
Stay tuned for more as we learn it.
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