Robin Hardy, director of The Wicker Man, has passed away

Robin Hardyhas died at the age of 86. His most famous directorial work was The Wicker Man, and his last project was a film adaptation of his novel Cowboys for Christ, which has been retitled as The Wicker Tree.

He was born in England and studied art in Paris. He began his career as a film director with the National Film Board of Canada and in the US where he made television dramas and was a partner in a film company with Anthony Shaffer for 13 years. He returned to London where he made television commercials. He wrote historical novels and was involved in creating historical theme parks in the US.

In 2010, the Guardian named The Wicker Man the fourth-best horror film of all time.

Sir Christopher Lee, who died last year, said it was the best of the more than 200 films in which he starred.