Ashley Avis to Write and Direct New 'I Never Promised You a Rose Garden' Film
Avis is developing the third film adaptation of Joanne Greenberg's 1964 novel, and the first new Rose Garden movie since 1977.
Ashley Avis is developing a film adaptation of Joanne Greenberg's 1964 novel I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, and she will write and direct it, according to screenrant.com. No cast, plot details or release date have been announced.
The novel is semi-autobiographical and centers on Deborah Blau, a 16-year-old living with schizophrenia, and her psychiatrist, Dr. Clara Fried. The character of Dr. Fried was inspired by the real psychiatrist Frieda Fromm-Reichmann.
This marks the third film adaptation of Greenberg's work and the first new Rose Garden film since 1977. That version starred Kathleen Quinlan and Bibi Andersson and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Greenberg later criticized the 1977 film. In a 2007 interview, she said it omitted Deborah's Jewish identity and took issue with its depiction of mental illness. In 2004, Walter L. Newton's stage adaptation premiered with her approval.
Avis previously directed Disney's 2020 adaptation of Black Beauty. Greenberg's 1985 novel In This Sign was adapted into the TV movie Love Is Never Silent, which won two Emmys.
Quick answers
Who is directing the new I Never Promised You a Rose Garden film?
Ashley Avis will write and direct the adaptation of Joanne Greenberg's 1964 novel.
Has a release date or cast been announced?
No. No cast, plot details or release date have been announced for the new adaptation.
How many film adaptations of the novel have there been?
This is the third film adaptation of Greenberg's work and the first new Rose Garden film since 1977.