Hollywood star Winona Ryder has taken the lead role in British romantic comedy Lily And The Secret Planting which goes into production in London next month. The film is the long-awaited second feature of Hettie Macdonald, who made her debut with Beautiful Thing in 1996.

Lily is a $5m co-production between the UK's Sarah Radclyffe Productions and Strawberry Vale Film and TV Productions and New York-based production company Hart Sharp Entertainment. Hart Sharp principals John Hart and Jeff Sharp will produce with Sarah Radclyffe and Strawberry Vale's Caroline Hewitt.

Cameron McCracken, now deputy managing director of Pathe Pictures, originally developed the script by Lucinda Coxon and took it to Radclyffe. He will likely take a producer credit, but Pathe is not involved in the project.

Ryder will play a young woman taking care of her mother who falls for an Australian at a local plant nursery. The actress previously played with an English accent in 1993's Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Ryder recently completed the lead female role opposite Adam Sandler in Columbia/New Line's Deeds; her recent credits include Lost Souls directed by Janusz Kaminski, Autumn In New York directed by Joan Chen and Girl, Interrupted directed by James Mangold.

Ryder is represented by Ed Limato at ICM in Los Angeles.