Key Highlights:
- Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård star in the upcoming romantic comedy-drama Wicker, directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson.
- Colman revealed that filming the movie’s intimate moments was surprisingly comfortable and humorous, partly because Skarsgård spent the scenes clad in a custom wicker suit.
- The intricate costume was crafted by New Zealand’s Wētā Workshop using a blend of organic and synthetic fibers designed to avoid splinters while allowing natural bodily movement.
Inside the Making of the Intimate Scenes in ‘Wicker’
Filming intimate sequences on set can often be a daunting prospect for performers, but Academy Award winner Olivia Colman experienced a far more lighthearted dynamic while working on the upcoming feature Wicker. In the romantic comedy-drama, Colman portrays an isolated fishwife who commissions an unconventional companion from a local basket weaver and sorcerer, portrayed by Peter Dinklage. Taking inspiration from classic folklore, the craftsman builds an animate husband—played by Alexander Skarsgård—entirely out of woven wicker, triggering both town gossip and an unexpected romance.
Addressing the mechanics of shooting the project’s romantic scenes, Olivia Colman noted that the inherently surreal premise alleviated the customary tension associated with on-camera intimacy. “I do find sex scenes very embarrassing, and I didn’t in this,”
Colman told Entertainment Weekly, “because we got on so well and because there was humour to the sex scenes as well, which makes it less embarrassing.”
Directorial Guidance and the Surreal Suit Dynamic
The collaborative atmosphere on set was heavily shaped by married filmmaking duo Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. According to Olivia Colman, the directors took a hands-on approach and actively demonstrated the physical blocking for the scenes behind closed doors. “So it was like, okay, we’re all in this together,”
Colman said. “And it was a closed set.”
The visual presence of Alexander Skarsgård’s full-body wicker wardrobe also injected perspective into the shoot. “And also I suppose a little bitI was less [embarrassed] because I was thinking this poor guy is wearing a basket and so let’s not get too embarrassed that there’s other things at play,”
Colman added. Despite the rigid aesthetic seen on camera, Colman noted that the material felt soft and posed no threat of leaving splinters.
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Alexander Skarsgård on Navigating the Physicality of the Costume
Because the production schedule prioritized the romantic encounters during the first few days of shooting, Alexander Skarsgård had to rapidly master how to act and move inside the elaborate creation. The logistical challenges of navigating a bed while covered in woven materials added an element of trial and error to the blocking.
“The restriction of the costume would inform the sex scenes a little bit because again, we shot those scenes very early on. It was the first couple of days,”
Skarsgård stated. “So I was still figuring out the physicality and what the limitations were of wearing the suit. “So there were certain things like in bed, you’re not super nimble, so it’s like, all right, maybe that didn’t quite work. Let’s do it this way instead, and then you figure out a way to make it work.”
The specialized suit was developed by the renowned New Zealand practical effects studio Wētā Workshop, globally recognized for its iconic armor, prosthetics, and prop work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Skarsgård noted that the construction relied on a calculated blend of organic and synthetic materials woven to emulate natural human movement while maintaining its woven appearance.
Why This Matters
The creative choices behind Wicker showcase how bespoke practical effects can fundamentally redefine storytelling in romantic comedies and fantasy cinema. By employing an elaborate physical suit produced by industry leaders at Wētā Workshop rather than relying on computer-generated imagery, the filmmakers grounded the film’s eccentric premise in tangible realism. Furthermore, the transparent, collaborative environment fostered by directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson underscores evolving industry practices around intimacy coordination and actor comfort on closed sets, demonstrating how open communication and practical humor can turn potentially awkward sequences into seamless creative collaborations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the premise of the movie ‘Wicker’?
Wicker follows a solitary fishwife (Olivia Colman) who enlists a local basket weaver and sorcerer (Peter Dinklage) to fashion her a husband out of wicker. When the wicker man (Alexander Skarsgård) comes to life, the pair embark on an unconventional relationship that captures the attention of their entire village.
Who designed Alexander Skarsgård’s wicker costume?
The specialized suit was engineered and manufactured by Wētā Workshop, the acclaimed New Zealand effects company famed for its work on major cinematic productions, including The Lord of the Rings.
Was Alexander Skarsgård’s costume made of genuine wood wicker?
The suit was constructed from a hybrid blend of synthetic and organic materials woven specifically to support body articulation and provide a soft texture, ensuring the actors avoided hazards such as splinters during filming.
