‘The Omen’ Is Back With a New Prequel

For the first time in almost 20 years, The Omen franchise is back with a new entry coming to theaters. The first film from 1976, directed by Richard Donner became one of the biggest horror movies of its era, and featured an adorable child who just may be the Antichrist. The film got three sequels, in 1978, 1981 and 1991, and then a reboot in 2006 with a new recast telling basically the same story as the original Omen. 

The remake grossed $120 million worldwide against a reported budget of some $25 million, so it’s surprising it’s taken this long to make another one. This latest film in the first prequel in the franchise; dubbed The First Omen, it is supposedly about a woman who faces off with some sort of unholy evil. (I would presume, given the premise of The Omen, that this woman ultimately gives birth to Damien, the mega-evil child who was the subject of the other movies.)

The image above is the first official still from The First Omen, which was directed by Arkasha Stevenson, who previously worked as a director on shows like Briarpatch, Channel Zero, and Legion. The cast includes Servant’s Nell Tiger Free, Sonia Braga, and Bill Nighy, and was produced by David S. Goyer, among others.

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Here is the new film’s official synopsis:

When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.

The First Omen is scheduled to open in theaters on April 5, 2024. And if it’s a hit The Second Omen is just teed up and waiting for them. (Although, wouldn’t The Second Omen just be the first omen from The Omen? This is getting confusing.)