Back in July Lifetime sent shivers of excitement down the spines of V.C. Andrews fans when the network announced it was going to make a movie based on the author’s iconic 1979 novel Flowers in the Attic starring The Hangover‘s Heather Graham as the children’s mother Corrine Dollanganger, multiple Academy Award nominee Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist, Requiem for a Dream) as the grandmother (and attic owner) Olivia Foxworth and Mad Men‘s Kiernan Shipka as young Catherine Leigh “Cathy” Dollanganger. Earlier today the first official photo was released as well as the first preview trailer — a 3 1/2 minute plus clip that has all the appropriate goth creepiness set to the tune of a pared down piano and female vocal rendition of Guns N Roses’ “Sweet Child o Mine:”
UPDATE – Apparently the full-length trailer was leaked by someone other than Lifetime and their parent company, A&E Networks. They have since released a much shorter “official” version:
On a side note, we have since figured out the answer to the question: “Who sings ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ in the Flowers in the Attic Trailer?” question! The answer is Taken By Trees! (Click here to download the song from amazon.)
A number of fans were concerned that Lifetime might not stay true to the book, especially because of one particularly scandalous element, but director Deborah Chow told Entertainment Weekly that fans had nothing to worry about. “The script is faithful to the book,” she says. “Will there be incest? Yes.”
Actor Mason Dye, who plays the older brother Chris (above), backs up Chow’s claim, saying “We stay very true to the book.”
As far as the rest of the cast, here is what IMDB has so far:
Heather Graham as Corrine Dollanganger
Ellen Burstyn as Olivia Foxworth
Kiernan Shipka as young Cathy Dollanganger
Dylan Bruce as Bartholomew “Bart” Winslow
Chad Willett as Christopher Dollanganger, Sr.
Mason Dye as Christopher “Chris” Dollanganger, Jr.
Ava Telek as twin sister Carrie Dollanganger
Maxwell Kovach as twin brother Cory Dollanganger
Flowers in the Attic is set to premiere on Lifetime on January 18, 2014. Are you excited?!?
For more on Flowers in the Attic, including more exclusive photos and interviews from the set, pick up this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly, on stands Friday.
UPDATE – As I was writing this post A&E NEtworks and Lifetime issued a press release about Flowers in the Attic! Here it is in its entirety:
ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT BESTSELLERS OF ALL TIME, V.C. ANDREWS’ ICONIC FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, COMES TO LIFETIME JANUARY 18
All-star cast includes Heather Graham, Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winner Ellen Burstyn, Kiernan Shipka, Mason Dye and Dylan Bruce
LOS ANGELES, CA (November 14, 2013) – Based on V.C. Andrews’ controversial book that quickly became a cult classic, the Lifetime Original Movie Flowers in the Attic premieres on Saturday, January 18, 2014, at 8pm PT/ET. Starring Heather Graham (Drugstore Cowboy), Academy Award®, Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award-winner Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Mason Dye (Secret Diary of an American Cheerleader) and Dylan Bruce (Orphan Black), Flowers in the Attic is the gothic tale of four siblings who are locked away to live in an attic after a family tragedy suddenly removes them from their perfect childhood.
Flowers in the Attic weaves the twisted story of the Dollanganger kids who, after the unexpected death of their father, are convinced by their mother Corrine (Graham) to stay hidden in the attic of their wealthy grandparents’ mansion so she can reclaim the family fortune. But as her visits begin to wane after she becomes involved with a new husband (Bruce), the children endure unimaginable treatment at the hands of their ruthless grandmother Olivia Foxworth (Burstyn – seen in the photo below). As years go by and the eldest children Cathy (Shipka) and Christopher (Dye) come of age, both emotionally and physically, their family’s sordid past entraps them further as they look to each other for comfort.
Andrews’ first published novel, Flowers in the Attic was an instant hit when it was released in 1979, topping bestsellers lists in just two weeks. Captivating millions of readers worldwide, the book launched a series of five novels about the Dollanganger and Foxworth families. Andrews’ novels are famous for their twisted, rags-to-riches family tales that explore why people love to hate and hurt each other. Today, there are 106 million copies of her books that have been published in 95 countries.
Flowers in the Attic is produced by Front Street Pictures, Inc. for Lifetime Pictures. The movie is executive produced by Merideth Finn (The Rite) and Michele Weiss (Little Children) of Cue the Dog Productions, along with Charles W. Fries of Fries Film Company, Inc. Rob Sharenow, Tanya Lopez and Lisa Hamilton-Daly are executive producing for Lifetime. Harvey Kahn (Romeo Killer: The Chris Porco Story) produces the film for Front Street Pictures. The teleplay is by Kayla Alpert (Up All Night), and Deborah Chow (The High Cost of Living) directs.
ABOUT LIFETIME
Lifetime is a premier female-focused entertainment destination dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning scripted series, non-fiction series and movies. In 2012, as a result of its aggressive programming strategy that doubled the hours of original programming, Lifetime posted its strongest year-on-year growth among the key demographics in 10+ years, while also reaching its youngest median age in 16 years. Lifetime Television®, LMN®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.
