British filmmaker Justin Hardy has died at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack, his family has announced.
In a statement, his family said Hardy died on Friday night and remembered him as “a man of family, of boundless creativity” who remained “so full of life right to the end.”
Hardy was a BAFTA and Emmy Award-nominated writer and director whose career spanned documentaries, historical dramas and feature films. He was widely recognised for *Children of the Wicker Man*, a 2024 documentary he made alongside his brother, Dominic Hardy, exploring the enduring legacy of their father Robin Hardy’s 1973 cult horror classic *The Wicker Man*.
He had recently completed production on *Wrath of the Gods*, the final instalment of the *Wicker Man* trilogy, which is scheduled to premiere in London later this month.
The film draws inspiration from previously undiscovered scripts and storyboards left by Robin Hardy and serves as the concluding chapter to a trilogy that began with *The Wicker Man* and continued with 2011’s *The Wicker Tree*.
Dominic Hardy paid tribute to his brother, describing him as someone with “an incredible appetite for life” whose presence would be deeply missed.
He also praised *Wrath of the Gods*, calling it “incredibly beautiful” and saying completing the film had brought Justin Hardy immense satisfaction.
Beyond the *Wicker Man* franchise, Hardy directed numerous documentaries and historical productions for broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4 and CNN. His work included *Princes In The Tower*, *Trafalgar Battle Surgeon*, *The Relief Of Belsen* and *Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen*.
In addition to his filmmaking career, Hardy taught screenwriting at University College London, where he mentored aspiring writers and filmmakers.
His family said they were devastated by his death and heartbroken that he would not be present to see the premiere of his final film.
Justin Hardy is survived by his wife, Larissa, and their four children.
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