Thursday, January 16, 2014

Deja Reboot: "Rosemary's Baby, Oh Baby!"



For those of you who may be unfamiliar, my segment titled "Deja Reboot" is when I write about any upcoming remakes (or, yeah, reboots) and review both...or in this case, make a prediction, as this remake is still in the making.
As a huge fan of horror films (please note Leatherface tearin' it up chainsaw style on my wallpaper) I must say that I am absolutely a fan of the original Rosemary's Baby, directed by Roman Polanski. Although I don't typically get into the oldies, as horrible as that might sound, this one is absolutely a classic. Obviously.
Rosemary and her husband, a mildly successful theater actor, are a young couple who have just moved into a brand new apartment. Surrounded by seemingly sweet, but actually creepy, old neighbors, things take a turn for the worst when mysterious things begin to happy to Rosemary. Long story short (mostly because I haven't seen the film for a while) the neighbors have planned a scheme to raise the devil to impregnate Rosemary. In the end, Rosemary comes to find a cult in her apartment after giving birth to Satan's spawn and famously exclaims "Those eyes! Those horrible eyes!" upon first seeing her infant demon child.
With a story like that, and with those unforgettable set pieces, why wouldn't NBC want to remake this classic film into a miniseries?
I must say, reboots don't necessarily rub me the wrong way, because there are instances when they have been done well, but when they're made for the cheap thrills and quick profits, that's when I become bothered by the idea. However, this remake seems to have somewhat of an original spin on it.
Firstly, it's being made into a miniseries which will be composed of four parts, as opposed to a good old fashioned feature remake. I'm interested to see how this translation will play out since we'll have about four hours of storytelling as opposed to about two. But seeing as this was originally based on a horror novel by Ira Levin, it could be a chance to make a more dedicated version of the story.
Lastly, and the reason I'm most attracted to this development, is the casting news of Zoe Saldana as Rosemary. Now, I am absolutely NOT the kind to make any racially driven comments about equality, because I think Saldana is one of the best young actresses in Hollywood right now, regardless of her ethnicity. I simply think she'll make a great Rosemary for this updated version. Although she has done a mix of racy and sexual roles, she also bodes well as an action star and more than holds her own in the drama department. I think this is a testament as to her versatility, and I can't wait to see her explore new territories in this horror/thriller.
Is anyone else as excited as I am about this new project starring the lovely Zoe? I really hope it lives up to the hype (which I've built up in my own head), but maybe others aren't giving it as much hope as I.
No solid release date yet, but only time will tell if this classic will hold up!

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