Rose McIver
By Cindy Elavsky
Q: My girlfriends and I had a lot of fun watching Lifetime’s adaptation of V.C. Andrews’ book “Flowers in the Attic.” Are there plans to turn any more of the books in the series into movies? — Steff S., Orange Park, Fla.
A: You’re in luck, Steff. Lifetime has indeed filmed the sequel to “Flowers,” which is called “Petals on the Wind.” It is scheduled to premiere Monday, May 26, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. If you aren’t familiar with the books, the film begins 10 years after the Dollanganger siblings have escaped the attic where their mother, Corrine (Heather Graham), and grandmother Olivia (Ellen Burstyn) kept them locked away for more than two years.
“Petals on the Wind” continues to follow the twisted plight of the family, a decade after Cathy (Rose McIver), Christopher (Wyatt Nash) and Carrie (Bailey Buntain) escaped from their grandparents’ attic at Foxworth Hall. But as they attempt to move beyond their sordid past, they soon discover that certain secrets can’t be left behind.
When Cathy finds herself in an abusive relationship with a fellow dancer, Julian (Will Kemp, “90210)”, Christopher and Cathy are forced to face the forbidden feelings they developed for one another while coming of age during captivity. But when tragedy strikes the Dollangangers once again, Cathy returns to Foxworth Hall to confront her grandmother and seek revenge on her mother with a plan to seduce her husband, Bart (Dylan Bruce).
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Q: I had heard awhile back that Robert De Niro was going to star in an HBO drama series, but I haven’t seen anything about it since. Do you know if that’s still going to happen? — Donnie F., via email
A: Well, it is … and it isn’t. The series is still happening, but Robert De Niro won’t be involved. “Criminal Justice,” a seven-hour miniseries based on the BBC’s 2008 Peter Moffat drama of the same name, was supposed to star James Gandolfini. When James passed away last June (after already having filmed the pilot), De Niro was tapped to star in his place. However, he had to pull out due to a scheduling conflict, so John Turturro has stepped in to play the lead, Jack Stone, an unscrupulous New York City lawyer who defends a Pakistani man (Riz Ahmed) accused of murder.
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Q: You had mentioned awhile back that “Mistresses” would be returning to TV this summer. I’ve been looking for a premiere date, but can’t find out when it’ll be back. Can you help? — Holly T. in West Virginia
A: “Mistresses” — which stars Alyssa Milano, Rochelle Aytes, Jes Macallan and Yunjin Kim — will return to ABC on June 2 at 10/9c with a 13-episode second season. Based on the U.K. hit series of the same name, “Mistresses” is a provocative drama about the scandalous lives of a group of four friends, each on her own path of self-discovery.
Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail her at [email protected].
@ 2014 King Features Synd., Inc.