The 1976 classic horror movie, The Omen, is getting a shiny new prequel movie over at 20th Century Studios, and is reportedly making serious headway in its development. According to Deadline, the upcoming thriller movie, titled The First Omen, has bagged Arkasha Stevenson to helm the supernatural project.
The Omen is a spooky staple for any horror cinephile. Directed by Richard Donner and starring the likes of Gregory Peck and David Warner, the movie follows an ambassador who believes his cute five-year-old son, Damien Thorn, is actually the Anti-Christ. When it was first released, the film became one of the highest-grossing flicks of 1976, and earned itself two Oscar nominations – winning the Academy Award for ‘Best Original Score’.
So, considering how Hollywood is revisiting other legacy horror movies such as Halloween and The Exorcist at the moment, it is understandable that The Omen would be next up on the list for a reboot. The First Omen marks Stevenson’s feature directorial debut. Previously the filmmaker has been working in TV, having directed all six episodes of Channel Zero season 3, and helmed an episode on the TV series Legion back in 2019.
Besides directing the prequel film, Stevenson will also be handling the rewrite of the script alongside her writing partner Tim Smith. Stevenson and Smith first worked together on the short film Pineapple in 2017 and co-executive produced Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block together for Syfy.
Having a solid partnership will likely work in 20th Century Studios’s favour as The First Omen has a lot to live up to. Following the original 1976 movie, there have already been two sequels to the horror, as well as a 2006 reboot that, despite its lacklustre critical reception, grossed $120M worldwide.
We are curious to see how Stevenson will leave her mark on this iconic IP. While we wait for more news, here is our list of the best horror movies of 2021.