Flowers in the Attic: The Origin trailer digs into the history of V.C. Andrews’ hateful Grandmother character

If you’ve ever read V.C. Andrews’ 1979 novel Flowers in the Attic (get it HERE) or watched the two adaptations the novel has received – one from 1987 (watch that one HERE), the other from 2014 (watch it HERE) – then you have probably felt a great deal of hatred toward the Grandmother character in that story, who locks her four young grandchildren in the attic of her mansion. Now Lifetime aims to tell us how the Grandmother got to that point in her life, digging into her history with the upcoming mini-series Flowers in the Attic: The Origin.

Flowers in the Attic: The Origin will begin airing on Lifetime on July 9th, and a trailer for the mini-series can be seen in the embed above. As reported by TV Line, this is

a prequel to 2014’s Flowers in the Attic and its sequel, Petals on the Wind. The Origin aptly follows Olivia Winfield, a headstrong and determined woman who is unexpectedly courted by Malcolm Foxworth, one of the nation’s most eligible bachelors. After a whirlwind romance, Olivia finds herself as the mistress of the imposing Foxworth Hall, where she soon discovers that the fairytale life she expected has quickly become a nightmare. Because underneath Malcolm’s debonair exterior lies a dark heart, and a twisted evil lurks inside Foxworth Hall that will threaten Olivia’s happiness and that of her children. Olivia’s efforts to protect her family will force her to become the most terrifying version of herself, resulting in the inevitable — and notorious — decision to lock her grandchildren in the attic.

Flowers in the Attic: The Origin stars Jemima Rooper (The Girlfriend Experience) as Olivia Winfield; Max Irons (Condor) as Malcolm Foxworth; Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) as Malcolm’s illustrious father, Garland; Harry Hamlin (Mad Men) as Olivia’s beloved father; Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) as John Amos, Olivia’s cousin whose revelations change her life forever; Kate Mulgrew (Orange Is the New Black) as Mrs. Steiner, Malcolm’s loyal house manager and head of the Foxworth Hall staff; Alana Boden (I Am Elizabeth Smart) as Garland Foxworth’s new wife, Alicia; Hannah Dodd (Harlots) as Olivia’s daughter, Corinne; T’Shan Williams (The Color Purple) as Foxworth Hall’s longtime staff member and Olivia’s observant housekeeper, Nella; and Callum Kerr (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Christopher, a close relative of the Foxworth family whose life will be eternally intertwined with Corrine’s from the moment they set eyes on each other.

The four-part mini-series is executive-produced by Paul Sciarrotta, Jennie Snyder Urman, Joanna Klein, and Declan O’Dwyer. O’Dwyer directed Parts 1 and 2, with Robin Sheppard taking over for Parts 3 and 4.

I’m always interested in V.C. Andrews projects, because her many books (most of which weren’t even written by Andrews, who passed away in 1986) were a constant presence in my household as I was growing up.