The prequel to the seminal horror film The Omen will unveil Damien’s origins. The franchise began in 1976, with the original movie directed by Richard Donner. The Omen was a surprise success at the box office, leading to three sequels and other follow-ups on the small screen.
In 2016, it was announced that a prequel to The Omen was in the works. Antonio Campos, who previously helmed Simon Killer, was in negotiations to direct the project which would be titled The First Omen. Though the prequel has stalled since then, it’s still the subject of speculation by many horror movie buffs. Chad and Carey W. Hayes, known for writing The Conjuring, as well as 2005’s House of Wax reboot, have now offered details about a version of The First Omen that they collaborated on scripting.
Speaking with Comic Book, the writing duo revealed that the prequel would have delved deeper into Damien’s origin story. “We get to tell you where Damien came from. It was really fun. That was great,” Carey shared. They also provided their cautious outlook on the status of the prequel, noting that it’s rumored that the long-stalled project will be heading into production.
Fans of The Omen will, of course, be familiar with Damien’s roots. In the original film, and in the 2006 remake which starred Julia Stiles and Liev Schreiber, Damien was born from a jackal that died while giving birth to him. It is likely that the prequel will shed some light on the circumstances of Damien’s bizarre conception, potentially focusing on the dark forces which set Damien’s arrival into motion. It’s possible, on the other hand, that The First Omen places Robert Thorn and his wife Katherine at the center of the story, showing audiences how the couple came together before they made the fateful decision to adopt Damien. Given the title of the prequel, another potential avenue for the movie is to explore other demonic children that operate in a similar vein to Damien. By moving away from the typical formula of an Omen movie, and focusing on events which occur prior to Damien’s birth, the prequel opens itself to a number of distinct narrative opportunities.
However, that may not necessarily be a positive. Horror, more so than other genres, often struggles with how to offer viewers satisfactory explanations for the terror that unfolds on-screen. Some of the best horror offerings in recent years, whether it’s The Babadook or It Follows, have resisted the temptation to offer simple and straightforward conclusions. The Omen franchise has already attempted to expand on its universe in 2016 with the short-lived A&E series Damien, which featured Bradley James as the adult version of the title character. Despite the fact the show went in some directions by making Damien unaware of his horrific past, there was little appetite for a more detailed inspection of The Omen mythology and the drama was cancelled after one season. Still going by the comments of the Hayes brothers, and their impressive track record, the prequel sounds like it could provide plenty of intrigue. Hopefully, fans will get a chance to see it.
Source: Comic Book