Justin Hardy, a British filmmaker who directed the sequel to his late father Robin’s horror flick The Wicker Man, has suddenly passed away following a heart attack. He was 61 years old.
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The director’s family confirmed the news to the BBC, stating that he died on Friday night. They described the Bafta and Emmy-nominated filmmaker as a “man of family, of boundless creativity.” His loved ones also noted that he was “so full of life right to the end.”
Hardy’s family further stated they were “devastated” by his death.
Hardy rose to fame with his directing of Children of the Wicker Man in 2024. He worked on the film with his brother Dominic. The sequel notably chronicled the legacy of their father’s film.
Along with Children of the Wicker Man, Hardy worked on Wraths of the Gods. He directed historical films such as Princes In The Tower, Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, The Relief Of Belsen and Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen.
Justin’s family said they are heartbroken that he will not be at the premiere of Wraths of the Gods.
Justin’s Brother Dominic Speaks Out Following His Unexpected Death
In a statement, Dominic spoke out about Justin’s death.
“We’ve lost him, and we’ve lost that larger-than-life presence looking over us all,” Dominic stated. “He really became a filmmaker in his own right.”
Dominic then celebrated Justin’s work, calling his last film “incredibly beautiful” and “a great satisfaction to him.”
“I told him this repeatedly over the years, but I admired his work,” Dominic continued. “Because it was profoundly humanist and always moved me to tears. We had a father who made a film that has a huge legacy, but Justin made hundreds.”
Besides his filmmaking work, Justin was teaching screenwriting at University College London.
“After Children Of The Wicker Man, Justin was also going in a new direction and looking forward to writing more scripts,” Dominic pointed out. “He did an incredibly beautiful job with Wraths Of The Gods.”
Dominic then shared, “When he showed the final version to me, I said, ‘Now you have made a film with a capital F. It is your film. It is your vision,’ and it settles the legacy of our father, who had invented a massive thing of the same name, but Justin made something humanist, telling an important story.”