IKEA Turns Alexander Skarsgård’s Viral ‘Wicker’ Man Moment Into an Ad, and a Bench

IKEA, the renowned Swedish furniture brand, has turned a viral moment featuring actor Alexander Skarsgård into a promotional ad, and crafted a bench as part of the campaign. This came following the release of "The Wicker Husband," an upcoming film directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, who based their work on the novel "The Wicker Man" by Ursula Wills-Jones.

Skarsgård stars in the movie alongside Olivia Colman, Peter Dinklage, and Elizabeth Debicki, playing a village outsider who commissions a basketmaker to create a husband for her, with Skarsgård serving as the "wicker man."

In order to ensure the film's authenticity, the directors avoided CGI and instead constructed a real-life suit for Skarsgård to wear, which was meticulously designed and crafted by Weta Workshop from New Zealand. The makeup and suit were tailored to match Skarsgård's facial expressions with precision. The results have been widely praised online, with many praising the aesthetic of the "wicker man."

Recognizing the trend, IKEA's Australian Instagram account shared a photo of a handmade rattan bench, describing it as "made from husband material." The caption added, "If you know, you know," suggesting an allusion to the film's popularity. The bench is listed for $199, which the caption implies is a reasonable price when compared to the cost of a real wicker husband.

Black Bear Pictures, the studio behind "Wicker," also shared the post, tweeting, "It's a WICKER world." A review from Chase Hutchinson in TheWrap praised the film's unique approach, noting that "Wicker" is rare in capturing an Oscar-winning actress alongside a Hollywood heartthrob transformed into a literal wicker man. "Wicker" is set to release in theaters on October 23.