Next up from the Things Nobody Asked For file, we have the un-awaited prequel to Richard Donner’s seminal 1976 religious horror banger, The Omen. Look, yes, it could be fine, but recent form in horror legacy sequels has left us a bit gun shy.
When is The First Omen being released in the UK?
The First Omen hits UK cinemas on April 4. Prepare thyself.
What is The First Omen about?
The devil! Well, in the broad strokes at any rate. Production company 20th Century Studios are being as secretive as a Satanic conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist in regards to plot details, with only this brief snippet available:
“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.”
Which is pretty bog-standard but serviceable enough. Still, we know they don’t succeed, right? I mean, we’ve seen the original. There’s a chance The First Omen will lead directly into The Omen by detailing how those pesky Satanists got all their ducks in a row prior to that film, but counterpoint: that sounds dull as dishwater.
The cast of The First Omen
Nell Tiger Free is Margaret, our heroine; Sônia Braga is Silvia; Ralph Ineson is Father Brennan; Bill Nighy is Lawrence; with Tawfeek Barhom and Nicole Sorace. Canny fans of religious horror will note that Ineson is playing the same character essayed by Patrick Troughton, the second Doctor, in the original film.
The First Omen trailer
Why we’re excited about The First Omen trailer
Uh… why don’t we go with “conservatively optimistic”? Attempts to expand or remake The Omen over the years have met with results ranging from “mixed” to “God-awful”, and this first taste doesn’t really stand out from the pack in any notable way. Maybe the full trailer will change our tune.
