'The Secret Garden' picked up by Sky Cinema for release in October

Studiocanal’s The Secret Garden has been acquired by Sky and will come to cinemas and Sky Cinema on 23 October.

The film from Harry Potter and Paddington producer David Heyman was initially slated for release in cinemas on 3 April, and already screened for critics in March.

It was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and until very recently was set for a theatrical release in August before it dropped off the release schedule entirely.

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Now the Marc Munden-directed film will be available to watch at home or in cinemas on the same day in the UK. It’s being released on PVOD in North America this week through STX.

Based on the 1911 Frances Hodgson Burnett novel of the same name, the film stars Dixie Egerickx as Mary Lennox, Colin Firth as Archibald Craven and Julie Walters as Mrs Medlock and has a script from Jack Thorne. It tells the story of a young orphan girl who discovers the secrets of her uncle’s isolated Yorkshire estate.

The timeless story has been adapted for stage and screen countless times, and in fact, it’s the second adaptation of the story to star Colin Firth. The King’s Speech star previously played Colin Craven in a Hallmark made-for-TV movie in 1987.

This is the latest high profile for Sky Cinema Original Films which launched in 2018. Previous films to enjoy simultaneous release on Sky Cinemas and cinemas include Monster Family, Final Score and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.