‘Wicker’ Fans Are Jokingly “Stealing” the Wicker Husband Theater Standee

Every so often, a movie’s marketing takes on a life of its own online. A cardboard cutout in a theater lobby usually goes unnoticed, but this year one of them has turned into a social media obsession. It’s tied to one of the strangest romances of the fall.

‘Wicker’ follows an ostracized fisherwoman, played by Olivia Colman, who lives on the fringes of a seaside village. She commissions the local basketmaker, played by Peter Dinklage, to weave her a husband, and the creation, played by Alexander Skarsgård, proves more spectacular than she ever imagined.

His arrival sets off jealousy and upheaval in the village, with Elizabeth Debicki also in the ensemble. Now moviegoers are posting TikTok clips of themselves jokingly “stealing” the film’s life-size promotional standee ahead of its October 23 release, according to a Pop Crave post.

One clip shows a fan carrying off the cutout with a caption saying it’s coming home with them, and another is framed as a point-of-view of needing your own Wicker man. The standee shows the bearded Wicker Husband in a woven, textured torso, with the film’s title and release date at his feet.

The joke didn’t come out of nowhere. The film’s online fan base has been making similar gags for months, and theaters have joined in on the fun. Colman has joked about the result herself, and the design works partly because the character looks so convincingly real.

Moviegoers are “stealing” the ‘Wicker’ promotional standee ahead of the film’s release October 23. The movie follows an ostracized fisherwoman who develops a relationship with a man made out of wicker. https://t.co/VNkcCBF2Kn

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 19, 2026

That reaction goes back to the trailer. When it first arrived, women flooded TikTok comment sections in amused confusion, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and a Fandango post about it passed 11 million views on the platform. The attention suggests audiences are responding to the premise, plus the chance to see Skarsgård in another unconventional role.

Behind the memes is a film that critics have embraced. ‘Wicker’ premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2026 to strong reviews and a standing ovation, and Black Bear set an October 23 limited release with a nationwide expansion on October 30. It’s rated R and runs 1 hour and 45 minutes.

First trailer for ‘WICKER’, starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård. The film follows an embarrassed fisherwoman who asks a basket maker to make her a husband out of wicker. In theaters on October 23. https://t.co/GETfcWQJ12

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 30, 2026

On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 92% score based on 38 reviews. The Times gave it 4 out of 5 and said Colman elevates the material into unexpected places, while The Telegraph awarded 3.5 out of 5 and called it an off-beat, earthy comedy-drama. Not every verdict is glowing, since Metacritic shows a more mixed score of 64 based on 13 reviews, and one early critic found the fable less fun than the premise suggests.

The film was written and directed by Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, who adapted it from the short story ‘The Wicker Husband’ by Ursula Wills-Jones. Oscar-winning cinematographer Lol Crawley shot it, and CBR highlights the extensive makeup work behind Skarsgård’s character along with the production design. Skarsgård joined the project after Dev Patel, who was originally attached when it was announced in 2023, left the cast.

With a week to go, the standee has become the face of the movie’s marketing, and it’s easy to see why. A bizarre premise, a famous cast, and a character fans want to take home is exactly the recipe for internet attention. Whether it translates into ticket sales when the film opens in limited release remains to be seen.

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