Zoe Saldana to star in TV remake of Rosemary's Baby - The Guardian

Zoe Saldana, who will take the lead in NBC's miniseries remake of Rosemary's Baby. Photo: Jason Laveris/FilmMagic

US TV network NBC has announced the lead for its miniseries remake of Rosemary's Baby: Zoe Saldana, the actor best known for her roles in Star Trek and Avatar, as well as the forthcoming Nina Simone biopic Nina and Marvel epic Guardians of the Galaxy.

1. Rosemary's Baby


2. Production year: 1968


3. Country: USA


4. Cert (UK): 18


5. Runtime: 136 mins


6. Directors: Roman Polanski


7. Cast: John Cassavetes, Mia Farrow, Ruth Gordon


8. More on this film

The original Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 film written and directed by Roman Polanski, starring Mia Farrow as a pregnant woman who becomes convinced that she is becoming targeted for Satanic sacrifice by the neighbours in the new apartment block she has moved into. The four-hour series will be helmed by Polish director Agnieszka Holland, who directed episodes of The Wire and Treme for HBO, as well as the Oscar-nominated film In Darkness.

NBC's Quinn Taylor described Saldana as "one of our most gifted actresses... we think she has the perfect combination of spirit and gravitas to take on the title role."

Saldana recently completed Nina, a biopic of Nina Simone written and directed by Cynthia Mort and co-starring British actor David Oyelowo. Her casting caused controversy, given that she is Dominican-American while Simone was African-American. Singer India.Arie described her appearance as "a parody", saying: "This just looks weird, it looks like a person in Black(er) face with a fake nose... It feels out of place with what Nina Simone means in an African-American historical context." Aretha Franklin and Simone daughter also criticised the casting.

Saldana responded by saying in a magazine interview last year: "I do wish that people made their own judgment after they watch the movie... the one thing that we all have in common is an unconditional love and admiration and respect for Nina Simone. Something that's done out of love, in my mind, can't be right or wrong."

• Read an interview with Agnieszka Holland