The First Omen, a prequel to the classic1976 supernatural horrorfilmThe Omen, tells the story of a young American woman, a devout nun in training, who uncovers a horrifying conspiracy to facilitate the birth of the Antichrist in Rome, where American diplomat Robert Thorn takes custody of the Antichrist, renamed Damien Thorn, inThe Omen.
The First Omenmarks the sixth installment in the now nearly 50-year-oldThe Omenfilm series, which had been previously dormant since the release of the 2006The Omenremake. Within the intervening period, the only activity within the franchise was the short-lived A&E television seriesDamien, which serves as a direct sequel to the 1976 film while ignoring the sequels.
ExcludingDamien, the 1991 made-for-television filmOmen IV: The Awakening, and the 2006The Omenremake,The First Omenrepresents the first original installment to be released theatrically in over 40 years since the 1981 release ofThe Final Conflict, which concludes theoriginalThe Omentrilogyby presenting the climactic battle between Christ and an adult Damien Thorn.
However, whileThe First Omenhas received generally excellent critical reviews, the prequelhas failed to attract a wide theatrical audience. Among the various factors that have been cited for the film’s disappointing box-office performance is the belief that many people would rather watch the movie on streaming, which is where the film was initially supposed to be released.
The First Omen Lacks Mass Appeal
The First Omen
The First Omen is a horror film from director Arkasha Stevenson that acts as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows a young woman who goes to Rome to become a nun but begins to question her faith after encountering a terrifying darkness that aims to spawn an evil incarnate.
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In its opening weekend of theatrical release,The First Omen, which debuted alongside theaction thriller filmMonkey Man, was projected to gross between $14 million and $15 million at the domestic box office. In comparison, the 2006The Omenremake, which carried a production cost of $25 million, debuted at approximately $16 million and finished its theatrical run with a worldwide gross of approximately $120 million.
The First Omen, which carries a production cost of $30 million, grossed approximately $8.4 million in its opening weekend of release at the domestic box office, in which the film debuted in fourth position, behind the holdover releaseGhostbusters: Frozen Empire.Monkey Manfinished second with a gross of $10.1 million.
The disappointing opening forThe First Omenexposed a divide between the positive critical reaction to the film and the comparatively lukewarm audience reaction. Indeed, while the horror film presently has a solid 80 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, this is countered by a less-impressive 69 percent audience score. Moreover,The First Omenreceived a dismal C CinemaScore, compared to a B+ grade forMonkey Man.
The tepid audience reaction toThe First Omenreveals that the film, like manylong-gestating prequels,resides within a commercial no man’s land. While longtime fans ofThe Omenseries are seemingly bothered by how the new movie alters the original film’s lore, in terms of Damien Thorn’s origin story, other viewers have shied away from the horror flick due to prequel fatigue and the perception thatThe First Omenis derivative of other church-based horror films, specifically the rival psychological horror filmImmaculate.
Immaculate Overshadowed The First Omen
One prominent explanation for The First Omen’s disappointing box-office performance is its proximity to the similarly themedhorror filmImmaculate. The latter was released two weeks beforeThe First Omenand has so much in common with the former that audiences and critics have labeled them cinematic twins.
Immaculatestars Sydney Sweeney as an American nun, a beautiful, spiritual young woman who joins a remote Italian convent in and around Rome, where Sweeney’s character, much like the female protagonist inThe First Omen, uncovers a diabolical conspiracy that involves a blasphemous conception and birth. Like what happens inThe First Omen, Sweeney’s character serves as the vessel through whichImmaculateexplores the concept of female bodily autonomy.
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Regardless, whileImmaculatehas received mixed reviews, the film, which carries a production cost of approximately $9 million, has madeThe First Omenseem somewhat redundant for uniformed audiences, especially at the domestic box office, whereImmaculatehas a current total of approximately $15.2 million, whileThe First Omenhas grossed approximately $14.6 million through its second weekend of release.
The First Omen Was Made for Streaming
It’s no secret that beforeThe First Omenwas given a theatrical release through Disney subsidiary 20th Century Studios, Disney originally intended to release the horror prequel exclusively through its Hulu streaming content hub. Disney eventually decided to give the film a theatrical release to stem the theatrical distribution shortfall created by the 2023 Hollywood strikes.
Regardless, whileThe First Omen, which has a current worldwide box-office gross of approximately $35.4 million, certainly isn’t a box-office success,the prequel’s comparably modest $30 million production cost means that any theatrical loss for the film will be minor. Given that the $30 million figure was originallyintended for a Hulu release, without the expected addition of any theatrical revenue, the lackluster box-office performance ofThe First Omenhas nonetheless served to raise the film’s profile substantially in advance of its Hulu release.
Moreover, while the made-for-streaming label undoubtedly hurtThe First Omenat the box office, a successful run on Hulu would provide a clear rationale for continuingThe Omenseries, especially since the prequel presents several intriguing sequel possibilities involving Damien’s future and the living witnesses who know his true identity.The First Omenis playing in theaters now.
