Director Robin Hardy, of British classic The Wicker Man, aims to complete the loose trilogy begun by that Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward-starring film in 1973 and continued in 2011s The Wicker Tree. Hardy has taken to IndieGoGo and launched a campaign for the long-gestating The Wrath of the Gods, seeking to raise $210,000 for this tale of Californians at the mercy of Viking descendants.
I always planned for there to be a number of films in what I like to think of as The Wicker Man genre, and although it has been a long time in the making I think fans will find it worth the wait, especially as they can now get involved with the final film in a way that would have been unimaginable when I made the original more than 40 years ago, Hardy says of the campaign.
Like the second film, The Wrath of the Gods will not be a sequel in the traditional sense, or for that matter a prequel. Instead, it will be a final reflection on the themes that made The Wicker Man a classic, using some of the same enchanting Celtic landscapes as a backdrop.
In The Wrath of the Gods:
The Whimsey Company of Burbank California decide to create a theme park featuring the Norse Saga, a story of warring Gods and Giants and sly, scheming Elves. A group of intrepid Californians journey into their sub-arctic world completely unprepared to deal with the descendants of the warrior Vikings, a people who believe in the supernatural.
Whimsey CEO Herb Boden (James Mapes) and his son Ziggy (Christopher Leveaux) are led into this doomed enterprise by the lovely Bryn (Halla Williams), herself a Scandinavian who sings like an Angel. Her father, Oscar, chief of Police, tries to keep the peace between the Whimsey crowd and the resentful Vikings. He is diverted by the arrival of the beautiful Clarissa, who shares his passion for Steam Punk and is a kindred spirit..
Music, some of it Richard Wagner’s, some of it Blue Grass, Folk, Pop – even Barber Shop help move this tale of Gods frustrated and humans finding love in unlikely places. The film ends with a scene, as horrific in its way, as the burning of The Wicker Man.
At IndieGoGo, you can find a detailed look at the film, including concept art and where the funds are intended: production design for the Norse themed park and the films odd and seemingly plentiful Steampunk elements.
Below, find Robin Hardys campaign video.
