Universal Pictures has acquired rights to a new film version of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel The Secret Garden.

The story follows an orphaned girl sent to live with her uncle who discovers a hidden garden containing magical secrets. With so many remakes of the film produced in the last century, they are planning their own original storyline that will be set in the American South, at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Beasts of the Southern Wild writer Lucy Alibar will co-pen the screenplay alongside Guillermo del Toro, who is producing with Mark Johnson. No word on who will be directing the project.

The latest adaptation of the story was directed by Agnieszka Holland back in 1993. No production schedule has been released.