Rosemary's Baby (franchise)

The Rosemary's Baby franchise consists of American horror installments including a theatrical film, its made-for-television sequel film, and a television miniseries. Based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Ira Levin, the plot follows a young married couple who after moving into a new apartment experience interactions with a Satanic cult that's determined to usher in the birth of the antichrist. Each installment details the disturbing events that follow their decision to take up residence there, despite the potential dangers.

The franchise has been met with mix success as a whole. The original movie though met initially with a mild critical reception, was considered a box office success domestically. Through the years that followed, it earned its status as a classic horror movie. Modern analysis has called it one of the all-time greatest in the genre, a "masterpiece", and writer-director Roman Polanski's "magnum opus"; while also praising its influence over the horror genre thereafter, with various filmmakers acknowledging it as an inspiration. In cult-like manner, various legends of the production being a "cursed movie" have followed. Conversely, its television movie sequel was met with near universal negative reception from critics and its viewers; with reviews calling it one of the "worst horror sequels" ever, while some stated it has entertainment value. The television miniseries adaptation likewise, was met with negative reception calling it inferior to the original; criticizing the plot changes, and its overall execution.

The franchise will continue with a prequel film in post-production, from Paramount Pictures.

Origin
The 1967 American horror novel, written by Ira Levin and printed by Random House publishing, Rosemary's Baby was a financial success earning its classification as the best-selling book in the genre during the 1960s. In subsequent years, it has been called the greatest horror novel published. The literary piece serves as the basis for the film franchise that followed thereafter.

The plot centers around Rosemary Woodhouse, a young woman who recently moved into a new apartment building with her husband named Guy. Warned of the disturbing history surrounding the building, the couple ignore the warnings considering them urban legends. Though Rosemary wants to begin a family, Guy is determined to have a successful career before they have children. As time passes, they befriend an elderly couple who regularly come to visit. Rosemary begins to question their real intentions, and whether the forewarnings were myth or factual. After the couple's sexual intercourse with intent to have a baby, Rosemary experiences a horrific nightmare where a demon took the place of her husband. Convinced that perhaps her dream was reality, she begins to wonder whether she is going to birth the Antichrist.

Levin wrote and published a sequel novel titled Son of Rosemary, which was printed by Dutton Books in September 1997. The plot centers around Rosemary, who awakens from a coma twenty-seven years after the ending of the original release. She becomes aware that her son Andy has risen to great influence, founding an organization that seeks to enlighten the world through spirituality. After reuniting with her son, he lets her know that he is aware of his parentage though he chooses to do good within society. When a series of suspicious events transpire however, she begins to question whether his fate is as evil as his conception.

Rosemary's Baby (1968)
A young couple, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse, move to a new apartment complex with a shady history. Believing the ominous stories they have heard to be exaggerated and fictionalized, they move in with intent to start a family. Though Rosemary wants to immediately begin having children, Guy is determined to earn a successful acting career before they do. As he works tirelessly to find a major role in a production, she is left in the apartment as a housewife.

Growing lonely, she turns to her neighbors for friendship including a young woman named Terry Gionoffrio who lives in Apartment 7A. One night returning to the building, the couple arrive to the scene of a crime; horrified to discover that Terry had seemingly thrown herself from the top floor of the building to her death. Confiding in an elderly couple named Roman and Minnie Castavet, they decide to continue their familial pursuits. As time goes on, Rosemary begins to question their intentions and grows weary suspecting foul-play in her friend's death. After experiencing a particularly frightening demonic encounter, she is lead to believe that it was a hallucination caused by medication. Discovering that she is pregnant, Rosemary believes that the violently sexual experience she had may have been reality, and suspects that the baby she is carrying may diabolically not be of this world.

Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby (1976)
Rosemary Woodhouse tries to teach her young son Andrew, who the occultists have given the title-name of "Adrian", in secret to rebuke his lineage as the illegitimate son of Satan and to one day become a good man. Living alongside the pagan coven who orchestrated his conception, she decides to run away with him to escape their evil influences. Along the path to their destination, Andrew is abducted by a sex-worker who is a part of the same cult named Marjean. Raising the child as her own, she teaches him to follow his basic instincts of rebellion.

Years later and now fully grown, Andrew has become the leader of a musical group and is popular in Los Angeles. Aware of his heritage, he is pursued by members of the Satanists from his childhood. Though his natural inclination is to behave wickedly, the words of his mother Rosemary inspire him to try to avoid their sway they are imposing on him. The devil worshippers who manipulated his mother prior to his birth, named Roman and Minnie move into close proximity, determined to have him embrace his destiny as the anitchrist. When their actions to convince him to use his demonic powers prove unsuccessful, the elderly couple send their young granddaughter named Ellen to seduce him into his unholy nature.

Apartment 7A (2024)
In March 2021, it was announced that Natalie Erika James will serve as director of a psychological thriller film titled, Apartment 7A. James will also serve as co-screenwriter with Christian White, based on a previous draft of the script written by Skylar James; while the plot was kept a secret from public knowledge. John Krasinski, Allyson Seeger, Michael Bay, Andrew Form and Brad Fuller will produce the film. The project will be a joint-venture production between Paramount Players, Sunday Night Productions and Platinum Dunes. Following the success of the A Quiet Place movies, the project was among several scripts that the studio is developing with a similar tone. Apartment 7A was chosen from those projects to quickly entered pre-production.

In January through March 2022, Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest joined the cast in as-of-yet unspecified starring roles, respectively. By June 2022, it was announced that Marli Siu had been cast to co-star in the film. Principal photography had commenced in the United Kingdom previously at an undisclosed time, and had since wrapped production. Later that month, Bloody Disgusting exclusively revealed that the film is secretly a prequel to Rosemary's Baby, with various actors cast to portray roles from the original movie.

In August 2022, the Writers Guild of America determined the film's final writing credits, confirmed that it is based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin. In June 2023, test screenings confirmed the movie is intended to serve as a prequel to the 1968 film, receiving positive reception through its viewers. This was elaborated when Paramount officially announced the film's release date, and a synopsis which stated the plot will follow the events taking place during 1965 in New York, and detail the events that chronologically transpired before Rosemary Woodhouse moved into the complex. Apartment 7A will release exclusively on Paramount+, in the fall of 2024.

Television
The television adaptation based on the original novel by Levin, began development in January 2014. Agnieszka Holland was announced to be directing from a screenplay co-written by Scott Abbott and James Wong, while Zoe Saldaña was cast in the lead role of Rosemary Woodhouse. While the plot followed the source material, changes were made to reimagine the 1968 film. The character of Rosemary is a professional ballerina dancer, who after a miscarriage moves to Paris with her husband to start a new life. When the couple finally conceives a child, they begin to discover its true sinister nature.

Joshua Maurer, Alixandre Witlin and David A. Stern served as executive producers; with Saldaña's production studio and associates also attached as executives. The project being a joint-venture production between Lionsgate Television, City Entertainment, KippSter Entertainment, and Cinestar Productions. The miniseries aired on National Broadcasting Company (NBC) between May 11 and May 15, 2014.

The miniseries was met with a majority of negative critical reception, comparing it unfavorably to the original movie.

Other media
In 2016, the film was unofficially remade in Turkey under the title Alamet-i-Kiyamet.

The short "Her Only Living Son" from the 2017 horror anthology film XX serves as an unofficial sequel to the story.