Paramount+ is getting ready to take viewers back to the Bramford building this September. The first trailer for the streamer’s psychological thriller Apartment 7A, the prequel to the legendary horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, was unveiled today, teasing what happened in the cursed New York apartment complex before Rosemary moved in. Julia Garner leads the feature as a young dancer named Terry Gionoffrio whose dreams of stardom come crashing down around her after a devastating injury. She’s seemingly given a second chance by the residents of the luxurious building, but her glimmer of hope soon becomes a nightmare as the horrors within its walls make themselves known.
The trailer opens with a flash through Terry’s most devastating moments as her visions of dancing under the brightest lights, the sole reason she ever came to New York, end in a flash with a gnarly ankle injury. After leaving the hospital, she quite literally stumbles into some unexpected benefactors, a wealthy older couple played by Dianne Wiest and Kevin McNally, who welcome her into their apartment and help her recover. Although her friend suggests the deal is too good to be true, she eagerly embraces having some much-needed agency as the pair gifts her a room to herself. She even finds some success, however painful, after getting an in with a fellow resident and prolific Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess). However, things quickly begin going south when she finds leftover belongings from the last tenant and the couple begins acting oddly threatening toward her.
Apartment 7A‘s connections to Rosemary’s Baby become more apparent in the back half of the trailer as Terry’s investigation turns up information about the last tenant’s horrific fate. She’s been chosen as the next victim of the Bramford and her benefactors are merely preparing her for something sinister. The horror becomes apparent as she sees herself pregnant in the mirror with a demonic child, showing the “sacrifice” she must make to realize her dreams. It’s just a tease of the horrific R-rated scenesRelic director Natalie Erika James has in store for viewers as the evil of the Bramford infests every aspect of Terry’s life.
Who Else Stars in ‘Apartment 7A’?
In addition to the talented core of Garner, Wiest, Sturgess, and McNally, the prequel film also boasts Marli Siu, Andrew Buchan, Rosy McEwen, and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith among its supporting cast. Apartment 7A will mark the feature writing debut of Skylar James, who penned the story and worked on the screenplay with the director Erika James and her writing partner Christian White. Of course, the franchise itself stems back to Ira Levin‘s original 1967 novel which paved the way for Roman Polanski‘s horror classic starring Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes.
Apartment 7A premieres on Paramount+ on September 27 and will be a part of the service’s Peak Screaming curation of horror movies and Halloween episodes. Attendees at this year’s Fantastic Fest will also have a chance to see the film early, as it’s part of the event’s lineup running from September 19 through 26. Check out the trailer in the player above.
