ASkars just so Swedish

deadline Ig (x) "Here is the rather randy first trailer for ‘Wicker’, the comedic fable starring Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård and Peter Dinklage that debuted at Sundance in January. Watch the trailer now!"

“Most male actors dream of playing Hamlet at some point in their career. I never did,” Skarsgård said. “My dream was always to have nipples made out of wicker. Thanks to our wonderful directors, Eleanor and Alex and the brilliant artists at Wētā in New Zealand, my dream has finally come true.”

The trailer wastes no time introducing the unusual romance, opening with a loud, passionate sex scene between Colman and her Wicker Husband.

It also raises an obvious question: how were the film’s intimate scenes pulled off when Skarsgård’s intricately woven costume and facial prosthetics were created almost entirely through practical effects? The look was designed and built by Wētā Workshop, the acclaimed special effects company behind The Lord of the Rings.

Despite the challenges posed by both the elaborate costume and the film’s intimate subject matter, Fischer and Wilson say the scenes were surprisingly enjoyable to stage. They credit renowned intimacy coordinator Ita O’Brien with helping the cast who filmed the scenes during their first week of production feel comfortable throughout the process.

“These scenes definitely required some of the most detailed prep of the entire movie,” the directors said. “They were very specific in the script and every shot was storyboarded, rehearsed and refined ahead of time. Of course, the wicker suit added another layer to the process.”

“Most male actors dream of playing Hamlet at some point in their career. I never did,” Skarsgård tells EW. “My dream was always to have nipples made out of wicker. Thanks to our wonderful directors, Eleanor and Alex, and the brilliant artists at Wētā in New Zealand, my dream has finally come true.”

The trailer opens with Colman having loud, passionate sex with her Wicker Husband, which poses some technical questions about the film’s many sex scenes — especially considering Skarsgård’s intricately woven costume and facial prosthetics were created practically. (Wētā Workshop, the special effects house behind The Lord of the Rings, designed and built the look.)

Despite the delicate nature of the costume and subject matter, Fischer and Wilson say the sex scenes were “fun” to choreograph. They credit Ita O’Brien, “the godmother of intimacy coordinating,” with helping the actors (who shot the scenes during their first week on set) feel comfortable.

“These scenes definitely required some of the most detailed prep of all of the movie — they were very specific in the script, and every shot was boarded, rehearsed, and reboarded ahead of time,” the directors tell EW. “Of course, the wicker suit added to the dynamic.”

As the trailer continues, it’s apparent that the Wicker Husband makes quite the impression on the village women, especially the stuffy Tailor’s Wife (Elizabeth Debicki), who starts to spiral over the Fisherwoman’s rather unconventional union.

“I loved the Fisherwoman,” Colman says. “She’s the only one not toeing the line.”

The Oscar-winner calls Wicker “one of the best and most original scripts I’d read in a long time,” which is a testament to Fischer and Wilson’s screenplay, adapted from the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills-Jones. Seeing Skarsgård in costume also heightened the movie’s allure.

Olivia Colman in ‘Wicker’. [Credit: Black Bear]

“Alex is funny, intelligent, and beautiful anyway — in the wicker costume, he’s breathtaking,” Colman gushes. “Everything is exaggerated; he’s a work of art. Alex fills the Wicker Husband with a beautiful soul.”

Both Fischer and Wilson agreed, admitting they had some “anxiety” about what the suit would look like before seeing him in it.

“Alex’s performance, while incredibly nuanced and understated, was very technically and physically challenging, and it’s really the marriage of the prosthetic and the performance that sells the whole thing,” the directing duo notes. “Once he was walking and talking as the Wicker Husband, we knew the spectacle, the romance, the whole heart of the movie was in safe hands.”