Lifetime announced that a sequel to its upcoming Flowers in the Attic made-for-TV movie is in the works, even though the first doesn’t air until next weekend. The announcement was made at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena today.
Flowers in the Attic is based on the novel by V.C. Andrews, which was previously turned into a poorly received movie in 1987. However, HitFix notes that Lifetime executives did what they could to tell reporters that their version is nothing like that film. They said that the Lifetime version is closer to the novel.
“It's identical. It follows the book verbatim,” actor Mason Dye said. Screenwriter Kayla Alpert added, “We did not shy away from some of the taboo subjects, as people will see.”
The film stars also stars Heather Graham and Mad Men’s Kiernan Shipka.
Entertainment Weekly reports that Lifetime did say that the network is developing Petals on the Wind, Andrews’ sequel to Flowers. Alpert said the sequel will take place 10 years after the events of Flowers, adding, “And I’ll just say its a very juicy and compelling revenge drama.”
“It’s actually more fun being less explicit,” Alpert said about adapting the controversial book with incest for basic cable television. “I think just like in the novel, the teasing out of some of the violence and sexuality, it’s almost more fun to imply it than to show it. So I tried to keep true to that in the screenplay.”
Flowers in the Attic premieres on Jan. 18. You can check out the trailer below.
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