With the screaming success of horror programs like FX’s American Horror Story and AMC’s The Walking Dead, it’s only logical that basic cable networks are racing to get in on the action. Although this fall’s Dracula update, starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, has been perhaps less of a smash hit than the Peacock network expected, that’s not enough to prevent NBC from green-lighting a four-hour miniseries adaptation of the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby.
The project, which was announced back in July, will take its cues more from the 1967 Ira Levin novel than the subsequent Roman Polanski chiller. However, unlike the novel, NBC’s miniseries will take place in Paris, not New York City. The story will follow a young woman and her husband who move into a creepy apartment with an eerie history. When the woman becomes pregnant, she soon comes to suspect that her husband and their odd neighbors have sinister intentions for her and the child.
No actors have yet been cast for Rosemary’s Baby, though a team is in place to develop the series. Scott Abbott (Queen of the Damned) will collaborate with James Wong (Final Destination, American Horror Story) to pen the script, while Agnieszka Holland (The Killing) is currently attached to direct all four installments of the miniseries.
NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke had this to say:
As we move into the event movie and miniseries space, Rosemary’s Baby represents the kind of attention-getting, surprising project that will make noise for us. The story has been updated and moved to Paris, but it’s faithful to the spirit of Ira Levin’s classic novel. This is a compelling tale wonderfully told.
The decision to turn Rosemary‘s Baby into a miniseries likely came on the heels of Under the Dome‘s ratings success over on CBS. That series was billed as ‘event television’ this past summer (though a second season has since been announced), and the massive ratings suggest that strategy paid off.
NBC is also developing a miniseries based on Stephen King’s Tommyknockers and has renewed its horror series Hannibal for a second season to premiere in April. As far as horror television goes, whether Rosemary‘s Baby will be met with glowing reviews (Sundance’s The Returned), huge ratings (FOX’s The Following) or both (American Horror Story) remains to be seen, but the miniseries has quite a strong horror pedigree already, with Wong on board.
Are you excited to see a fresh take on Rosemary’s Baby? If so, who would you cast as Rosemary? Sound off in the comments section!
