‘The Wicker Man’ sequel director Justin Hardy dies ahead of film’s premiere

British filmmaker Justin Hardy has died at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack. His family confirmed that Hardy died on Friday night.

In a statement, they described him as a creative person who loved both filmmaking and his family as they expressed their heartbreak over his passing.

Hardy, a Bafta and Emmy nominated writer and director, was best known for directing Wrath of the Gods, the final film in the Wicker Man trilogy. The movie recently finished production and is expected to premiere in London later this month. 

He also co-directed the 2024 documentary Children of the Wicker Man with his brother, Dominic Hardy, exploring the legacy of their father Robin Hardy’s 1973 cult horror classic.

His brother remembered him as someone with a huge passion for life and praised his work on his final film, calling it “incredibly beautiful.”

“We’ve lost him and we’ve lost that larger-than-life presence looking over us all,” he said. “He really became a filmmaker his own right.”

Throughout his career, Hardy directed several documentaries and historical dramas for the BBC, Channel 4, and CNN. His credits included Princes in the Tower, Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, The Relief of Belsen, and Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen.

Wrath of the Gods was inspired by scripts and storyboards left behind by Robin Hardy. The film completes the trilogy that began with The Wicker Man in 1973 and continued with The Wicker Tree in 2011.

In addition to his filmmaking career, Hardy also taught screenwriting at University College London. He is survived by his wife, Larissa, and their four children.