Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård faced an unusual challenge while filming intimate scenes for their fantasy comedy Wicker. However, the film’s directors revealed that the process turned out to be more enjoyable than expected.
Filmmakers Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer shared how they approached the unconventional romantic sequences. Skarsgård wore an elaborate costume that transformed him into a man made of wicker.
The directors explain how they filmed the movie’s intimate moments
During an interview with Refinery29 Australia, Wilson explained that the production team created a private environment for the actors.
The filmmakers used a closed set and limited the crew to essential personnel, including intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien, cinematographer Lol Crawley, and the sound team.
According to Variety, Wilson said the smaller setup helped everyone work more comfortably without the usual production activity surrounding them.
The crew also avoided having additional people watch the scenes through monitors.
Fischer compared filming the Wicker sex scenes to planning action sequences, explaining that the team carefully coordinated the movements.
“It’s kind of like stunt choreography. You’re just coming up with what feels right and what makes sense. And we all had ideas, and it was kind of a fun brainstorm,” he said.
Skarsgård had initially felt nervous about wearing the extensive prosthetics created by New Zealand’s Weta Workshop for his character. During a separate interview with Variety, the actor recalled how Colman’s enthusiastic reaction helped him feel more confident about the transformation.
He also explained that the costume moved naturally with his facial expressions, making the finished appearance more effective than he had anticipated.
Wicker follows an isolated fisherwoman, played by Colman, who commissions a basketmaker, portrayed by Peter Dinklage, to create her ideal husband.
Skarsgård plays the resulting wicker man, whose arrival challenges the customs of their medieval community.
Despite its unusual premise and suggestive promotional material, the film explores more than physical comedy and romance.
Colman praised its emotional range, saying, “It can be hard to go from very silly to really heartbreaking, but because it was all done with realism, it worked better.”
Based on Ursula Wills-Jones’ short story The Wicker Husband, the movie also features Elizabeth Debicki, Richard E. Grant, and Nabhaan Rizwan.
Wicker was scheduled to reach Australian cinemas on November 5.
