Justin Hardy
1965–2026Justin Hardy was a British film and television director, noted for his work on series such as The Bill and the documentary Children of the Wicker Man, and for teaching screenwriting at University College London.
Particulars
Justin Hardy was born in the mid‑1960s and pursued higher education in history at Oxford University before studying film at Bournemouth and scriptwriting at the University of California, Los Angeles. He grew up in the shadow of his father, Robin Hardy, the director of the cult classic The Wicker Man, and later forged his own career in the British television and documentary world.
Throughout his career Hardy directed a range of television series and historical dramas, including episodes of The Bill, Princes In The Tower, Trafalgar Battle Surgeon, The Relief Of Belsen, Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen and London’s Burning. In 2024 he co‑directed the documentary Children Of The Wicker Man with his brother Dominic, exploring the legacy of their father's seminal film. His work earned him nominations for both an Emmy and a BAFTA, underscoring his reputation as a skilled storyteller.
In addition to his directing work, Hardy taught screenwriting at University College London, sharing his industry experience with a new generation of writers. The filmmaker’s family announced that he died on the night of Friday, 31 July 2026, after suffering a heart attack, at the age of 61.
Compiled from source reports. Automated record.