The Wicker Tree Oklahoma. However, Hardy was ultimately unable to secure funding, and the film was cancelled. He then adapted his screenplay into a novel, which was published as "Cowboys for Christ". Hardy felt that writing the novel gave him a much clearer idea of what he wanted to do, and he eventually adapted the novel into the screenplay which was used for "The Wicker Tree". Originally Hardy wrote the part of Sir Lachlan Morrison for Christopher Lee, who played Lord Summerisle in "The Wicker Man". While filming the newest Hammer production "The Resident" in New Mexico, Lee injured his back when he
The Wicker Man Fiction films in Paris, but largely slipped into obscurity. In 1977 the American film magazine "Cinefantastique" devoted a commemorative issue to the film, asserting that the film is "the "Citizen Kane" of horror movies" – an oft-quoted phrase attributed to this issue. Decades after its release, the film still receives positive reviews from critics and is considered one of the best films of 1973. At the film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, "The Wicker Man" holds a 90% "Fresh" rating based on 48 reviews, with a weighted average score of 7.8/10 and the site's consensus: "This intelligent horror film is subtle