Wicker's Viral Romance and Basketry Debate

Key points

• Wicker, directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, is based on Ursula Wills’ short story 'The Wicker Husband,' which was posted online in 2008.
• The film stars Olivia Colman as a fisherwoman and Alexander Skarsgård as a wicker husband created by a basket weaver played by Peter Dinklage.
• The movie’s trailer, released in July, triggered a viral 'thirst' campaign on social media, particularly among romance readers and BookTok users.
• The narrative explores gender roles and domestic labor, presenting a husband who shares chores and emotional support, contrasting with the village’s traditional patriarchal norms.
• The costume was created by Wētā Workshop using 3D-printed thermoplastic elastomer rather than actual willow, leading to criticism from traditional basket makers.

Background

Wicker opened in limited U.S. theaters on October 23, 2026, with a wide release following on October 30. The film’s promotional tour featured Skarsgård’s eccentric fashion choices, including a shirt with Colman’s photo and a custom wicker suit. The story’s origins trace back to a 2008 short story that sat on a website for years before producers contacted the author. The film’s release coincides with a broader trend of adapting unpublished short stories into major motion pictures.

How outlets are covering it

AV Club emphasizes the film’s cultural impact, noting how it taps into the desires of romance readers and BookTok by offering explicit sexual content and emotional vulnerability, unlike the chaste modern rom-coms. They highlight the 'competency porn' aspect of the wicker husband’s reliability. The Guardian focuses on the technical backlash from the basket-weaving community, with experts like Deborah Needleman and Joe Dunckley debating whether the costume’s plaited structure and use of synthetic materials accurately represent wicker, which is traditionally defined by willow or osier. Slate provides the origin story, detailing how Ursula Wills’ short story was adapted, noting changes such as the character’s age and the addition of agency for the wicker husband, which Wills described as an open question in the original text.

Why it matters

Wicker’s success highlights a shift in audience preferences for romance films that explicitly address sexual desire and egalitarian relationships, challenging the traditional chaste rom-com formula. The viral marketing campaign demonstrates the power of niche communities, such as BookTok and basket makers, in shaping cultural conversations. The film’s technical controversy underscores the tension between fantasy filmmaking and traditional craftsmanship, while its narrative offers a commentary on modern relationship dynamics and domestic labor.

What to watch

The film is currently in wide release, with continued social media engagement expected as audiences share their reactions. The basket-weaving community may continue to debate the costume’s authenticity, potentially influencing future adaptations of similar stories. Ursula Wills has a book of short stories scheduled for release in April 2027, which may include other fairy-tale style pieces.