Alexander Skarsgård has a new box office story to tell, and it does not involve a major franchise or a nine-figure budget. His fantasy romantic comedy Wicker opened in 1,471 theaters across the United States on October 23, 2026, and pulled in $5.75 million over its three-day debut. The film cost a reported $10 million to make, which means one weekend of domestic ticket sales already covered more than half of its production cost.
What Wicker Is About
Wicker is based on the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills. Olivia Colman plays a lonely fisherwoman in a small village who is mocked and pushed aside by the people around her. She hires a local basketmaker, played by Peter Dinklage, to build her a husband out of wicker. Alexander Skarsgård plays the living wicker man who comes to life. His arrival changes her world, and the rest of the village reacts with a mix of jealousy, shock, and fascination.
The film is written and directed by the married team of Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, who previously made the sci-fi comedy Save Yourselves! Elizabeth Debicki also stars in the cast. The story is described in the official synopsis as “an audacious comedic fable about sex, marriage, and the absurdities of social convention.”
The Box Office Numbers
Wicker finished at No. 5 on the domestic chart for the weekend of October 23–25, 2026. The films ahead of it were Clayface at No. 1, the documentary You Can See Everything at No. 2, Wildwood at No. 3, and Street Fighter at No. 4.
The No. 5 spot does not tell the full story. Wicker posted a per-screen average of $3,908, which was strong enough to beat several bigger-budget titles that were playing in far more theaters. Other Mommy earned $3.85 million from 2,798 theaters, Sense and Sensibility earned $3.4 million from 2,571 theaters, and Whalefall earned $3.2 million from 3,065 theaters. Wicker did more business per location than any of them.
Why the 10 Million Dollar Budget Matters
A $10 million production budget puts Wicker in a different financial category from most wide releases. The standard industry rule of thumb says a film needs to earn about 2.5 times its budget to break even after marketing and distribution costs. For Wicker, that break-even point would sit below $25 million. The film has not reached that number yet, but its opening weekend already returned more than half of the production cost before any international ticket sales are counted.
Wicker has not opened in most international markets yet. The film is a U.S.–U.K.–Australia co-production, and it has only launched in America so far. That means the $5.75 million domestic figure is the starting point, not the finish line.
Reviews and Audience Scores
Critics and audiences have responded well to the film. Wicker holds a 94% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 92% audience score. The consensus from early reviews describes it as a bawdy, funny, and unusual romantic story with strong performances from its leads.
“An immensely entertaining watch” and “a fun and quirky story about love and overcoming loneliness.” — Collider’s Therese Lacson in her review of Wicker
Slant Magazine called Skarsgård “sturdy husband material” in a “bawdy adult fable,” noting that he “brilliantly captures the tension between his character’s alien outward appearance and deeply feeling inner core.” The Los Angeles Times described the film as “a mischievous, crowd-pleasing folktale with several sweet beats of romance.”
The strong reviews and audience response give Wicker a word-of-mouth advantage as it moves into more theaters and new countries. The film expands nationwide in the United States on October 30, 2026.
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When and Where to Watch Wicker Around the World
Wicker is rolling out in stages, with different dates for different countries.
- United States: Limited release began October 23, 2026. Nationwide expansion is set for October 30, 2026.
- United Kingdom and Ireland: The film opens in cinemas on October 30, 2026.
- India: Wicker releases in Indian theaters on October 30, 2026, the same day as the U.K.
- Australia: The release date is November 5, 2026.
- France: The film opened in French theaters on October 21, 2026.
- Spain: A limited release is listed for October 30, 2026.
- Russia: The film is scheduled for November 5, 2026, under the title “Плетеный муж” (The Woven Husband).
- Belgium: A limited release began on May 6, 2026.
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2026, where it received a standing ovation. It also closed the 59th Sitges Film Festival on October 18, 2026, and screened at the Adelaide Film Festival, the London Film Festival, and the Denver Film Festival in October 2026.
A Small Film With a Big Weekend
Wicker did not arrive with the marketing muscle of a superhero movie or the screen count of a studio tentpole. It arrived in roughly 1,400 theaters — fewer than every other film in the top ten — and still found an audience. The $5.75 million opening against a $10 million budget is a result that independent distributor Black Bear can build on as the film moves into the U.K., India, Australia, and other markets.
Skarsgård has spent much of his career in large-scale projects, from The Northman to Succession to the Godzilla vs. Kong films. Wicker is a smaller, stranger swing, and the early numbers suggest it is finding the audience that the material was made for.
For more box office reports, release schedules, and film industry news, keep reading VvipTimes.
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