How The First Omen Found All Those Creepy Locations [Exclusive]
"The First Omen" was one of the biggest movie surprises of the year. What could've easily been a cheap, lazy cash-in on IP awareness turned out to be an inventive, smart, and surprisingly disturbing horror movie that just happens to be a prequel. As Witney Seibold wrote in his /Film review: "In an age when long-in-the-tooth horror franchises like 'Halloween' and 'The Exorcist' are being tiresomely revived without a trace of creativity, it's refreshing and splendid to see a picture that is thoughtfully menacing, uniquely stylish, deathfully intense, and utterly terrifying. 'The First Omen' is a film of dank, bloody, spittle-flecked dread, made no less powerful by the foregone conclusion."
In "The First Omen," we follow a young novitiate (Nell Tiger Free) who is sent to help at an orphanage in Rome. Once there, she begins to experience terrifying visions that hint at a grand conspiracy involving unspeakable evil. It all leads up to the events of "The Omen," Richard Donner's 1976 horror classic about a little boy who just happens to be the antichrist (spoiler alert?).
If you missed "The First Omen" in theaters (and there's a good chance you did, as the film was not a box office hit), you're in luck: it hits Digital Retailers on May 28, comes to Hulu on May 30, and finally arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on July 30, 2024. In honor of the home media release, we're debuting an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip from the film, which you can check out above.
The First Omen on digital, streaming, and Blu-ray
In the clip above, Eve Stewart, the film's production designer, talks about how they searched for churches all over Rome to use. She also talks about the metal structures used to create the "hellmouth" of candles that can be seen in the film representing a mouth. When it came to the orphanage seen in the film, Stewart mentions they ultimately used three different buildings in Rome, with editing making it seem like the action was all taking place in one location. It's just a tiny hint of all the work that goes into making a movie like this.
I hope now that "The First Omen" will be available at home soon, more people will check it out. I was kind of shocked at how well the film works, especially for a studio-driven prequel. This could've easily been something forgettable, but director Arkasha Stevenson has really created a creepy, memorable horror pic.
In "The First Omen," "a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church. Soon, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith, and that reveals a terrifying conspiracy to bring about the birth of evil incarnate." The film stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sonia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy. The home media release comes with the following bonus features:
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The Mystery of Margaret – Join director Arkasha Stevenson and stars Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy and Maria Caballero as they dive into the character of Margaret, her relationships with other characters, and how she's manipulated while trying to solve the film's horrifying mystery.
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The Director's Vision – Director Arkasha Stevenson talks about her love of horror films, the opportunity to expand on The Omen legacy, and crafting The First Omen entirely through a female lens. She also describes shooting in Rome, and the cast recounts working with Arkasha.
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Signs of The First Omen – Join the director and talented artists as they reveal some of the symbolism within the set designs and the costumes. Learn how the use of practical effects blurs the line between what is real and what is not in The First Omen's terrifying world.