The Wicker Man four requirements: he came of his own free will, with "the power of a king" (by representing the Law), is a virgin, and is a fool. Defiant, Howie loudly warns Lord Summerisle and the islanders that the fruit-tree strains are failing permanently and that the villagers will turn on him (Lord Summerisle) and sacrifice him next summer when the next harvest fails as well; Summerisle angrily insists that the sacrifice of the "willing, king-like, virgin fool" will be accepted and that the next harvest will not fail. The villagers force Howie inside a giant wicker man statue, set it ablaze
The Wicker Man Maiden wrote a song called "The Wicker Man," inspired by the film, for their 2000 album "Brave New World". In May 2016, British band Radiohead released the music video for a song named "Burn the Witch", made in stop-motion animation and whose storyline greatly resembles that of "The Wicker Man". A novelization which expanded on the story and bearing the same title, was released in 1978. It was written by Hardy and Shaffer. In 1989, Shaffer wrote a thirty-page film script treatment entitled "The Loathsome Lambton Worm", a direct sequel to "The Wicker Man", for producer Lance Reynolds. It would