20TH Century Studios’ highly anticipated psychological horror film The First Omen is set to send shivers among Filipino movie-goers with its arrival in Philippine cinemas on April 5.
Set in 1971, the film follows the story of Margaret, a young American sent to Rome to serve the church. There, she starts questioning her faith after discovering a conspiracy to bring about the birth of an evil incarnate.
As a prequel and standalone masterpiece to the famous Omen franchise, the film transports the audience to the very roots of the series, exploring the petrifying prophecy that foretells the rise of the Antichrist.
The First Omen stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sonia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Charles Dance, and Bill Nighy.
The film is directed by Arkasha Stevenson and based on the characters by David Seltzer.
The Omen Universe
‘The First Omen’ is a prequel to the classic 1976 horror film ‘The Omen’ directed by Richard Donner. It is the original film in the series, centering on the life of Damien Thorn, a young descendant of the Devil (Satan) destined to be the ‘Antichrist.’
The first film had a huge commercial success, with over $60 million in revenue in the U.S. theaters alone.
It was then followed by ‘Damien: Omen II’ (1978) and ‘Omen III” The Final Conflict’ (1981), narrating the teenage and adult life of Damien.
The fourth and final film in the series ‘Omen IV: The Awakening’ was released in 1991, revealing the new Antichrist in the person of Delia, the biological daughter of Damien.
A remake of the original film in the series, ‘The Omen’ directed by John Moore, was later released in 2006 and became a huge success, grossing over $120 million on a $25 million budget.
In 2016, the franchise was further expanded with the release of the television series ‘Damien,’ created by Glen Marazza.
The television series served as a direct sequel to the first film with ten episodes, ignoring the plot timeline of other sequel films in the Omen franchise.
As a prequel, the upcoming film ‘The Omen’ will shed light on the story of Damien’s mother, which was vaguely discussed in the previous films.
The film will unpack the mystery behind the origin of the Antichrist through the eyes of the protagonist, Margaret.
