From Ryan Cordaro

The idea of returning to established horror franchises after they’ve been dormant for a long time is usually very daunting, especially ones that are universally beloved. Even as someone that relatively enjoyed last year’s The Exorcist: Believer, I’m not surprised that Blumhouse is rethinking what they want from returning to that franchise. It usually seems to be Blumhouse that’s been hit with this issue, but now, we have another play at the horror prequel trend, and I admittedly think this is the most promising one yet.

The First Omen is a prequel to Richard Donner’s iconic 1976 horror film, The Omen. I actually watched it for the first time recently, not knowing that this was on the way only a few months down the line, and I’m fascinated by what The First Omen seems to be going for. There’s not too many details out yet on what the specific plot is, but The First Omen follows an American woman that’s sent to work at a church in Rome. During her time there, she begins to uncover a sinister conspiracy within the church that hopes to bring upon the birth of the Antichrist. This is Arkasha Stevenson’s directorial debut, but she’s directed episodes of Legion, Channel Zero, and Brand New Cherry Flavor. Her episode of Legion is one of my favorites of the whole series, and on top of delivering one of the best teasers I’ve seen in a long time, I’m looking forward to The First Omen quite a bit.

The horror prequel stars Nell Tiger Free (Servant, Too Old to Die Young), Tawfeek Barhom (The Rhythm Section, Mary Magdalene), Sônia Braga (Shotgun Wedding, Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Creator, the upcoming Nosferatu), and Bill Nighy (Living, Castlevania).

The First Omen releases in theaters on April 5th, 2024.

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