British filmmaker Justin Hardy, whose career was shaped by his father's legacy as director of the 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man, has died aged 61 following a heart attack. A Bafta and Emmy-nominated screenwriter and director, Hardy earned recognition for his work across documentaries and historical dramas for the BBC, Channel 4, and CNN, whilst also teaching screenwriting at University College London. In 2024, he collaborated with his brother Dominic on the documentary Children of the Wicker Man, exploring the enduring cultural impact of his father's film.

Hardy had recently completed filming on Wrath of the Gods, intended as the concluding film in a trilogy inspired by newly discovered scripts and storyboards from his late father's archives. The film was scheduled to premiere in London shortly after his death, a milestone he would not see realised. His family expressed devastation that he could not witness the release of his final project, describing him as a man of boundless creativity and significant presence within both the family and film industry. Hardy is survived by his wife Larissa and four children.