The First Omen: Unveiling the Prequel to The Omen

The Origins of Damien Thorn

Forty-eight years following the release of The Omen, the horror film's prequel, The First Omen, will premiere and reveal what happened before the first movie's events. The Omen debuted in 1976 and told the story of Damien Thorn, a young boy who was the prophesied Antichrist.

A nun lies on the ground in the shape of a cross as others walk past her in The First Omen trailer

Damien was switched at birth after his (unbeknownst to him and her) adopted mother, Kathy, gave birth to a child who died. The hospital chaplain, Father Spiletto, convinced her husband, Robert, to adopt another baby (Damien) whose mother had passed away during childbirth. Robert did so but failed to tell Kathy about his actions. Unfortunately for the couple, Damien came with a lot of baggage.

A woman screaming in distress in The First Omen

The Omen's Legacy and Sequels

The Omen produced three sequels — Damien: Omen II in 1978, Omen III: The Final Conflict in 1981, and Omen IV: The Awakening in 1991, all of which were not received as well as the first film. A remake, The Omen: 666, was released in 2006 and failed to live up to the original's legacy. 20th Century Studios (previously 20th Century Fox) will try to reproduce The Omen's success once again with the upcoming prequel, which will predate Damien's birth.

The First Omen is set to premiere on April 5, 2024, promising to provide a fresh perspective on the origins of Damien Thorn and the events that led to The Omen.

The Significance of Damien's Birthdate

As fans know from The Omen, Damien was born at 6:00 AM on June 6, 1971. His birthdate is significant because it occurs on the sixth hour of the sixth day of the sixth month — aka, 666. Six being repeated three times is typically a symbol for the Antichrist, so it only makes sense that Damien, the Antichrist, would be born on June 6 at 6:00 AM. Assumingly, this is where The First Omen will end, seeing as Damien's birth commences the events of the first film.