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A30 people & Arts
Tuesday 11 augusT 2020
Reimagining 'The Secret Garden' for a new generation

By LINDSEY BAHR goes into the garden, it just
AP Film Writer seems boundless, because
Frances Hodgson Burnett's that's how it is to a child."
children's classic " The Se- In order to make it a little
cret Garden " has been less remote for modern
adapted into several films, children, the filmmakers
television series and even brought the story forward
a Broadway musical. But a few decades from its Ed-
it had been 27 years since wardian roots. It still had to
Mary Lennox had last been be in the past, Alison said.
committed to film and the Things like child services
time seemed ripe for an- and health and safety
other visit to Misselthwaite would be involved if it were
Manor. Like "Little Women," too modern.
every generation is entitled But now, instead of 1911, it's
to its own version. set in 1947 in a post-World
Producer Rosie Alison of War II framework. Still, most
Heyday Films (the shop be- of the notes will feel famil-
hind the "Paddington" mov- iar. Mary still hails from India,
ies) had been enchanted her parents still die of chol-
by the 1911 novel as a child era and Archibald Craven
and the 1949 MGM version (Firth) is just as distant and
with Margaret O'Brien. She ghostly as ever.
was certain that it held an This image released by STXfilms shows Dixie Egerickx, Edan Hayhurst and Amir Wilson in a scene Like so many films during
appeal for modern chil- from "The Secret Garden." the coronavirus pandemic,
dren, who perhaps didn't Associated Press "The Secret Garden" was
have to reach back too and are always looking for derstanding of the charac- itself. It was decided early meant to be a big screen
far for a connection to the family fare. Alison said they ter. on that it'd be impossible to experience. Now, it's cur-
material — a generation weren't hard to persuade, "She's not really your tradi- "invent" nature on a sound- rently available as a video
who grew up with Agniesz- but, "Everybody treaded tional heroine," Egerickx, stage and thus the film- on demand release in the
ka Holland's 1993 version a little nervously about the who is now 15, said. "What makers set off on a 50-gar- U.S. It will be getting a the-
are also now grown with fact that it's not a huge ac- I like about her is she's quite den journey around York- atrical run in the U.K. in Oc-
children of their own. tion adventure with brand- complex. She's initially very shire, North Wales, Wiltshire, tober, however. And while
"It's such a beautiful, re- ed characters." unpleasant, rude and unlik- Dorset and Cornwall to find the situation is disappoint-
demptive fable," she said. Marc Munden ("National able but we learn that's be- the perfect combination of ing, Alison is trying to focus
"It's about damaged, slight- Treasure") was enlisted to cause she's lonely and she settings for the enchanting, on the bigger picture
ly misfit children who are direct, they got Colin Firth doesn't have anyone." abandoned garden. "Hopefully there will be
lonely and find friendship in and Julie Walters on board The filmmakers were given "It sticks more to Mary's over the years to come, a
nature. Parents think they'll and watched around 800 a relatively modest budget imagination and her sub- lonely 9-year-old who has
be bored, but I find that a tapes to find their perfect for a film with visual effects jective view of the world, plopped in front of a TV
lot of kids really get into it." Mary. ($20 million). But even with and there are slightly more and discovers this and it
They found supportive col- The part would go to the elements of magical re- fluid boundaries between really means something to
laborators in StudioCanal, 12-year-old Dixie Egerickx, alism, most of the outdoor her way of seeing and them," Alison said. "I would
who were also partners who displayed a "remark- scenes were shot on loca- the world around her," Ali- love for it to give hope to
on the "Paddington" films able intelligence" and un- tion, including the garden son said. "Now, when she children."q

Kaley Cuoco takes to skies in ‘The Flight Attendant’

with comedic overtones, ducer on the limited series ing to keep us safe," co-star
letting Cuoco employ the set to air this fall on new Zosia Mamet said. "It makes
love of laughter she honed streaming service HBO me feel not only safe, but
for 12 seasons on the CBS Max."It's been total career- incredibly taken care of."
comedy. Cuoco said she changing for me just to see Cuoco surprised Rosie Per-
won a bidding war for the it from the beginning and ez by agreeing to meet in
rights to the novel of the kind of go with my gut on her Brooklyn neighborhood
same name by Chris Bo- things and make my own to discuss the role of a fel-
hjalian. She stars as Cassie decisions," she said. low flight attendant. Perez
Bowden, a flight attendant The series had filmed five quickly made it clear how
who wakes up in the wrong of its eight episodes before she works.
hotel in the wrong bed with production was shut down "I don't mess around, I hit
a dead man, and has no in early March due to the my mark, I may be late in
idea what happened. global coronavirus pan- the car, never late on set,"
"It's kind of an actor's dream demic. Production is set to Perez said. "I know all my
Kaley Cuoco arrives at the 5th annual InStyle Awards on Oct. 21, to play someone like her," resume late this month in lines. If I forget them, it's be-
2019, in Los Angeles. Cuoco said on a video New York, with social dis- cause I'm nervous. That's
Associated Press conference Wednesday. tancing, rewrites to certain the way I like to work. Oth-
By BETH HARRIS fore "The Big Bang Theory" "She's got a roller coaster of aspects of the script and erwise, I get very irritated."
Associated Press ended. She found it read- issues but a heart of gold. daily COVID-19 testing for Then Perez dropped the re-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kaley ing a snippet about a book She's strong." actors working closely to- ally important details: she
Cuoco was looking for her on Amazon. "The Flight At- Cuoco serves for the first gether. "It's not just going hates traveling and flying
next project three years be- tendant" is a dark thriller time as an executive pro- through the motions of try- or talking before 8 a.m. q