The First Omen: The Unsettling Change in Damien's Origin Story
The First Omen is set to take The Omen franchise into uncharted territory with a prequel that changes the weirdest element of the franchise's lore. This article explores the significant and unsettling change in Damien's origin story and the narrative implications of this change.
The Uncharted Territory of The First Omen
The First Omen seeks to take The Omen franchise to uncharted territory after a series of disappointing sequels and a poorly-received remake. It aims to change the weirdest element of the franchise's lore to effectively capture the creepiness of the original 1976 classic.
Damien Thorn and his mother from the original The Omen (1976)
The backwards trailer for The First Omen provided an unsettling look at the franchise's first entry in more than a decade, hinting at a return to the origin of the evil child at the center of the franchise. While the sequels expanded upon the diabolical premise of the original movie, the prequel promises to delve into the mysterious circumstances surrounding Damien's birth.
A woman screaming in distress in The First Omen
Damien's Original Birth Origin Story & The First Omen's Changes
In The Omen, the child Damien is adopted by an American diplomat, and it becomes clear that he is the prophesied Antichrist. However, the sequels never explored exactly how or why Damien came to be born, leaving a gap in the franchise's narrative.
A creepy smiling woman in The First Omen
The original lore of The Omen emphasized that Damien's real mother was a literal jackal, and his father was Satan. This unusual birth origin story is set to be changed in The First Omen, with the prequel executing an inverted version of the Immaculate Conception, involving a nun impregnated by Satan giving birth to Damien.
A burning altar from The First Omen
The Necessary Change for The First Omen
The change in Damien's birth origin story was necessary for The First Omen to work effectively as a prequel. The inverted Immaculate Conception plot brings a necessary human element to the narrative, providing an opportunity for a compelling and unsettling story line.
A child postpartum in The First Omen
This change allows for the exploration of a more human element in the narrative, with specific details about Nell Tiger Free's character Margaret hinting at a close involvement with the nun who will birth Damien, adding depth and complexity to the prequel's storyline.
Nell Tiger Free standing among candles in a church in The First Omen's trailer
