Garden Of Shadows Updates: Will The Final Dollanganger Movie Happen?

They adapted the rest of the series so is Lifetime planning an adaptation of Garden Of Shadows, the last of the Dollanganger books? Author V.C. Andrews unleashed a surprise bestseller with her 1979 novel Flowers In The Attic, which followed the fate of four children who are locked away in their evil grandmother’s mansion after they’re forced to live with her. The book shocked readers with its twists and depiction of incest and following its success, Andrews quickly followed up with sequels novels. Wes Craven (A Nightmare On Elm Street) was originally attached to helm the 1987 movie adaptation of Flowers In The Attic but was later replaced by Jefferey Bloom.

The Flowers In The Attic movie starred Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest) as stern grandmother Olivia, but following negative test screenings, the movie was severely trimmed to remove scenes of incest and to secure a PG-13 rating. A movie version of the next book Petals On The Wind was also planned but canceled due to the movie’s mediocre box-office. Lifetime adapted the first book again in 2014 with a cast that included Heather Graham and Ellen Burstyn (The Exorcist), which proved to be a ratings smash.

Lifetime adapted the rest of the lurid saga with Petals On The Wind, If There Be Thorns and Seeds Of Yesterday. They’ve adapted the rest of the series but do they there plan to turn the final book Garden Of Shadows into a TV movie too?

Garden Of Shadows Is A Prequel

Garden Of Shadows tells the origin story of Olivia Foxworth, that grandmother who imprisons the children in Flowers In The Attic. It explores how a horrible marriage and a lot of misfortune hardens her heart and it takes place over the course of 40 years.

Author V.C. Andrews passed away in 1986 after a battle with cancer, so ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman (The Devil’s Advocate) was brought on to continue writing books under her name from outlines she developed. She died shortly before Gardens Of Shadows was published, so it’s unknown if she wrote any of it prior to her passing.

Lifetime Confirmed Seeds Of Yesterday Was The Conclusion

When Seeds Of Yesterday was greenlit by Lifetime they said it would be the conclusion of the Dollanganger saga, and like the books, it ends on a melancholy note. There’s been no sign of movement on another movie since it aired.

A Garden Of Shadows Movie Is Unlikely

Seeds Of Yesterday concluded with the death of Chris (Jason Lewis, Sex And The City) and the implied death of Cathy, so it feels like the natural conclusion of the story. While fans would like to see a Garden Of Shadows adaptation, the last movie aired in 2015 and there’s been no word of Lifetime pursuing an adaptation, so the Dollanganger saga is likely complete.

About The Author

Padraig Cotter
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It’s pronounced Paw-rick, not Pad-raig. Now that’s out of the way, a brief introduction. Padraig has been writing about film online since 2012, when a friend asked if he’d like to contribute the occasional review or feature to their site.

A part-time hobby soon blossomed into a career when he discovered he really loved writing about movies, TV and video games – he even (arguably) had a little bit of talent for it. He has written words for Den of Geek, Collider, The Irish Times and Screen Rant over the years, and can discuss anything from the MCU – where Hawkeye is clearly the best character – to the most obscure cult b-movie gem, and his hot takes often require heat resistant gloves to handle.

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He’s super modern too, so his favorite movies include Jaws, Die Hard, The Thing, Ghostbusters and Batman. He can be found as i_Padds on Twitter making bad puns.

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