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The Omen is undoubtedly one of the creepiest horror films of all time, so genre fans are obviously thrilled that a prequel is on the way.
The First Omen, the prequel to the 1976 classic, has gone through more than a few changes and revisions since it was first announced in 2016. A release date has now been set, and the film is set to hit the big screen very soon.
The combination of Arkasha Stevenson (Channel Zero) directing and Nell Tiger Free (Servant) playing the lead role gives audiences a lot to be excited about. Here's everything we know about The First Omen.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on January 3, 2024.
The First Omen
A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
- Release Date
- April 5, 2024
- Director
- Arkasha Stevenson
- Cast
- Ralph Ineson , Nell Tiger Free , Bill Nighy , sonia braga
- Main Genre
- Horror
When Is 'The First Omen' Coming Out?
The First Omen is set to hit theaters on Friday, April 5, 2024. While that weekend doesn't offer much competition for the horror movie outside the dramatic thriller Dreamer, the prequel will be sandwiched between three different major blockbusters. The weekend before will see the release of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and the weekend after will see the release of Godzila x Kong: The New Empire.
Will 'The First Omen' Be in Theaters or on Streaming?
While recent genre titles from 20th Century Studios such as No One Will Save You, Prey, and Hellraiser were released directly onto streaming, The First Omen will instead receive a theatrical release first, much like last summer's The Boogeyman.
Given that The First Omen is distributed by 20th Century Studios, the film will inevitably be available to stream on Hulu, although an exact date is not yet known.
Is There a Trailer for 'The First Omen'?
The official trailer for The First Omen was released by 20th Century Studios on January 3, 2024. The minute-long trailer doesn't reveal much about the plot, outside the film's setting, which slowly succumbs to supernatural chaos, before ending with only one line of dialogue in the trailer: "You don't have to be afraid. This child is his way."
Who Stars in 'The First Omen'?
Nell Tiger Free plays the lead role of Margaret in The First Omen. Free previously played Leanne Grayson, an unsettling nanny with seemingly supernatural powers who cares for a grieving couple’s reborn doll, in the Apple TV+ series Servant. Free also played Myrcella Baratheon, the daughter of Cersei Lannister and Robert Baratheon, in Game of Thrones.
Ralph Ineson will be playing the character of Father Brennan. Ineson has more than a bit of experience battling demonic forces on film, having played William in Robert Eggers’ The Witch. Ineson, like his costar Nell Tiger Free, was also in Game of Thrones, where he played Dagmer Cleftjaw. He also played the titular role in David Lowery's acclaimed film The Green Knight and General Nikolai Tarakanov in the HBO series Chernobyl.
The rest of the cast includes Academy Award nominee Bill Nighy (Love Actually) as Lawrence, Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman) as Silvia, and Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene) as Gabriel.
What Is 'The First Omen' About?
The official synopsis for The First Omen, from 20th Century Studios, reads:
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.
As the title suggests, The First Omen will serve as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen and will include the character of Father Brennan. In 1976’s The Omen, Father Brennan was played by Patrick Troughton (The Second Doctor in Doctor Who) who was in his mid-50s at the time. In The First Omen, that role is played by Ralph Ineson, who is currently in his 50s, suggesting the prequel may be set only a short time before the events of The Omen.
Who Is Making 'The First Omen'?
When an Omen prequel was first announced in 2016 it was reported that Ben Jacoby (Bleed) would write the script with Antonio Campos (The Devil All the Time) in negotiations to direct. However, those plans fell through.
Instead, The First Omen will be directed by Arkasha Stevenson, which will mark her feature directorial debut. Stevenson has previously directed episodes of Legion, Briarpatch, and the deeply weird Netflix horror series Brand New Cherry Flavor Stevenson was also involved in the script for The First Omen, though it is unclear if that is an entirely new script or a rewrite of the original script by Jacoby.
Stevenson’s writing partner Tim Smith worked with her on the script for The First Omen. The two also worked together on the short film Pineapple. Smith also worked as an executive producer on the film. Keith Thomas (Firestarter) also assisted in writing the script for the prequel.
Producers on the film include David S. Goyer (Hellraiser) and Keith Levine (The Night House) and serving as executive producers are Smith, Whitney Brown (8-Bit Christmas), and Gracie Wheelan.
Where To Stream 'The Omen' Movies:
The Omen (1976)- The first film in the franchise, The Omen stars Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn, the US Ambassador to Great Britain and father of Damien, an eerie child with a mysterious past. After the death of Damien’s nanny, a priest named Father Brennan reaches out to Robert to express his concern that Damien may be the antichrist. While it can sometimes get lost among all the great horror films of the late 60s and 70s, The Omen more than holds its own, even among the greats. The film had a lot of problems behind the scenes, even leading to rumors of a curse, but the film came together brilliantly and is an absolute must-see for horror fans.
Damien: Omen 2 (1978)- While not considered a classic to the same extent as The Omen, Damien: Omen 2 is still an interesting film. It focuses far more on Damien himself, instead of the people and events around him. Damien, now twelve, begins to realize and struggle with who he is.
Omen 3: The Final Conflict (1981)- The third in the original trilogy of Omen films, Omen 3: The Final Conflict sees Damien’s rise to power. He becomes the US Ambassador to the UK and uses his connections, both demonic and political, to brutally prevent Jesus’s second coming.
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)- Ten years after the original Omen trilogy finished, the television movie Omen IV: The Awakening was released. It follows a new family, the Yorks, and their concerns about their adoptive daughter Delia’s disturbing and possibly demonic behavior. While the film is set in the same universe as The Omen, characters only learn of those film’s events through letters.
The Omen (2006)- The Omen was remade in 2006 starring Liev Schreiber in the role of Robert Thorn, with Julia Stiles playing his wife. Mia Farrow also starred, an amusing bit of casting given her role in 1968’s Rosemary’s Baby and the similarities between The Omen and Rosemary’s Baby.