Colin Firth, Julie Walters to star in big-screen adaptation of ‘The Secret Garden’

Colin Firth and Julie Walters. Image: AFP/Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/Justin Tallis via AFP Relaxnews

British actors Colin Firth and Julie Walters have joined the latest adaptation of the children’s novel “The Secret Garden” produced by David Heyman (“Harry Potter”).

The big-screen adaptation of “The Secret Garden”, the classic children’s novel written by Frances Hodgson Burnett in 1911, will be directed by Marc Munden (“Utopia”). The screenplay is by Jack Thorne, who also penned the stage play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”.

The film brings the setting forward from the Edwardian era to 1947. It follows the life of a 10-year-old girl called Mary Lennox (Dixie Egerickx), born in India to wealthy parents. The unloved girl is sent to live in England with her uncle Archibald Craven (Colin Firth). In the remote English countryside, Mary uncovers various family secrets, notably when she meets her sickly cousin Colin (Edan Hayhurst). The two children, both damaged by life, begin to help each other heal, partly through their discovery of a wondrous secret garden lost in the grounds of Archibald Craven’s manor.

Julie Walters will play the head housekeeper. Young actors Amir Wilson and Isis Davis are also part of the cast. Production is scheduled to start Monday, April 30, in England.

Actor Colin Firth previously starred as Colin Craven in the 1987 TV adaptation of the book. Producer David Heyman was reportedly thrilled to have the two world-renowned actors onboard: “I could not be more thrilled that Colin Firth and Julie Walters have joined the journey, alongside a remarkable new trio of young actors.”

The “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” producer also sung the praises of the movie’s screenwriter and director: “I’m delighted to be working again with StudioCanal on ‘The Secret Garden’, brought so vividly to life by writer Jack Thorne. I’m excited that our director, Marc Munden, will be bringing his distinct imaginative vision to this enduring childhood story.”

The movie will commence worldwide sales at the Marché du Film in Cannes, France, May 8 to 17, 2018. JB

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