Zoe Saldana In ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ Remake: Creepy Image Hits Web
Zoe Saldana will take over the role originally played by Mia Farrow in an NBC mini-series version of the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, set to air on the network in May. On Thursday, the network gave horror fans a first look at Zoe Saldana in the role, in a creepy promo image that is on line today, but will appear on buses, benches and billboards by early next week.
The 1968 film version of the bestselling 1967 novel by Ira Levin is considered an all-time classic. The title role of the innocent Rosemary who falls victim to a fiendish plot involving, well, her baby — that’s not a spoiler, folks, it’s in the title — was played by Farrow.
Of course, Mia Farrow is more recently known as the ex-partner of Woody Allen. She became his main accuser in an alleged child molestation scandal. Oddly enough, the director of the 1968 Rosemary’s Baby, Roman Polanski also became involved in a sex scandal involving an underage girl. He fled the United States in 1977 after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old.
But just as Farrow’s chilling performance in Rosemary’s Baby is going to be a lot to live up to for Zoe Saldana, so too will Polanski’s direction for the NBC miniseries helmer Agnieszka Holland. Polanski went on to direct the milestone 1974 film Chinatown, and in 2002 won a Best Director Oscar in absentia for The Pianist.
While many fans are likely wondering why a film acknowledged as one of the greatest horror movies ever produced needs a remake, there appear to be some significant differences between the NBC two-part Rosemary’s Baby starring Zoe Saldana and the 1968 film. For starters, the TV series is reportedly set for some reason in Paris, while the film was set, as was the novel, in a creepy old apartment building in New York City known as The Bramford.
The Bramford was based on The Dakota building in New York, where the exterior shots in the film were actually filmed.
Also, by casting the 35-year-old Zoe Saldana in the role of Rosemary, the film seems to be making some concession to the later dates at which women are likely to have their first children in the 21st century. Mia Farrow was all of 22 years old when she was cast, 47 years ago, as the unfortunate expectant mom in the Polanski film.
With that, check out the first promo image of Zoe Saldana in Rosemary’s Baby. Pleasant dreams!
