Olivia Colman on viral Wicker memes: 'This has never happened to me before'

Olivia Colman stars alongside Alexander Skarsgård in new film Wicker It has already been described as 2026's weirdest rom-com, external. And new film Wicker has sparked a deluge of viral memes and steamy jokes that have flooded social media ahead of its release. Speaking to the BBC at its London Film Festival premiere, lead star Olivia Colman said she never expected such a big reaction. "No, literally this has never happened for anything I've done before," she said. "But you put Alexander Skarsgård in an interesting outfit, and everyone is looking." The film tells the tale of a lonely, ostracised fisherwoman (Colman) living in a medieval village. Tired of constantly being mocked for being single, she hires a basketmaker to mould her a new partner made entirely out of wicker. Enter Skarsgård - but not as you've ever seen him before. As the "wicker husband", he emerges as a strapping, dashing life-size piece of furniture. And he proves to be a devoted partner, and passionate lover, sparking jealousy among the other village women. The film has an A-list cast, with other stars including Peter Dinklage as the basket weaver, Elizabeth Debicki as the tailor's wife, and Richard E Grant as the village doctor. Since the release of the trailer, there's been a huge buzz online around the film - from BookTok and FilmTok fans swooning over Skarsgård’s character, to questions being asked over splinter risks during the film's erotic scenes. Swedish giant Ikea even got involved, posting photos of its rattan furniture on Instagram in a nod to the film, with the caption “husband material”. When asked why she thinks people are so fascinated and so thirsty for the wicker husband, Colman answered: "We all love a little bit of escapism. That's what film is beautiful for. "And it's magical, and a bit of fantasy, and people love that, especially currently. What's not to love about a little bit of escapism and fantasy?" She also said it was the film's originality that drew her to it. "You get a lot of scripts through the post, and you feel like you've seen a bit before. And this, I really hadn't seen this before, so I was excited," she said. Like Colman, Debicki agrees that Skarsgård is the main reason the film has lit up the internet. "I think it was a lot to do with Alex in a wicker man costume, really," she told the BBC. "I think that's something that apparently everybody would like to see." But Skarsgård himself gives all the credit to the designers of the outfit. "All I had to do was get stuck into it," he says.