The Wicker Man
STUDIOCANAL, with the endorsement of director Robin Hardy, today launched a world-wide public appeal to locate original film materials relating to legendary horror classic The Wicker Man, originally released in 1973, in celebration of the cult film's 40th anniversary.
2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the The Wicker Man's original release. In celebration of this and continuing its project to conserve, restore and release for future generations the best of Classic British cinema, STUDIOCANAL today announces its intention to release the most complete version of the film possible.
The now widely lauded film was released with minimal promotion in 1973 as second feature of a double bill with Don't Look Now. The version exhibited to audiences was significantly shorter than director Robin Hardy's original vision.
In what has now become an apocryphal episode in British film history, the negatives disappeared from storage at Shepperton Studios, were then allegedly used as landfill in the construction of the nearby M4 motorway, and are considered lost forever.
STUDIOCANAL are now appealing worldwide to film collectors, historians, programmers and all-round fans to support the campaign and come forward with any information relating to the potential whereabouts of original materials.
Director Robin Hardy comments: "I never thought that, after forty years, they would still be finding lost fragments of my film.
"We thought all of The Wicker Man had gone up in flames, but fragments keep turning up and the hunt goes on!"
A special facebook page has been created to serve as a forum for the search to continue. For further updates and to join the conversation with any news please visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wicker-Man/