‘Wrath of the Gods’ Brings Lost ‘Wicker Man’ Legacy to Dead Northern

A lost concept from The Wicker Man director Robin Hardy is heading to York in a film completed by his son. Wrath of the Gods, the final feature directed by the late Justin Hardy, will receive its regional premiere at Dead Northern Horror Film Festival on Sunday 27 September, following its world premiere at Tubi FrightFest in August.

The new British folk horror was inspired by material discovered in Robin Hardy’s abandoned archive, where a previously unseen concept for what had been intended as a final film connected to the world of The Wicker Man had remained hidden for decades.

The archive resurfaced after the new owner of the Hardy family’s former home contacted Justin Hardy to reveal that six sacks of his father’s materials had been found untouched in the attic. Inside were storyboards, correspondence, legal papers and creative documents relating to Robin Hardy’s work, including the lost Wrath of the Gods concept.

Justin Hardy followed that trail to Shetland, developing a new story with his half-brother Dominic Hardy and shooting the resulting film entirely on the islands.

Francis Magee, whose credits include Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, Layer Cake and The Tourist, leads the cast alongside Norwegian actress Christiane Schaldemose. Much of the supporting cast was street-cast locally in Shetland.

The story follows Anna, a young widow who returns to Hel Island to bury her husband after his suicide. Regarded by the island’s residents as a symbol of misfortune, she becomes further isolated when children begin to disappear and the community is forced to confront a history of abuse alongside forces connected to the sea.

Justin Hardy died on 31 July 2026 at the age of 61, only weeks before the film’s FrightFest premiere. Wrath of the Gods now stands as his final work and as a project closely bound to the creative legacy of his father, whose 1973 The Wicker Man remains one of the defining titles in British folk horror.

That family connection extends beyond the film itself. Wrath of the Gods is dedicated to Caroline Hardy, Justin and Dominic’s mother, whose uncredited role in supporting the original The Wicker Man was explored in their 2025 book Children of The Wicker Man.

The film was produced by Chris Nunn and Alison Palmer for Hardy Pictures and Carly Pictures, with Robin Keane serving as director of photography.

Wrath of the Gods screens with short film Krampus at Dead Northern Horror Film Festival on Sunday 27 September 2026 at 5.30pm at City Screen Picturehouse, York, followed by a Q&A.

Get your tickets now from the following places: deadnorthern.co.uk/

Wrath of the Gods trailer