The prequel to the classic horror franchiseThe Omen,titledFirst Omen, is being produced by 20th Century and is now set to star actress Nell Tiger Free in her first lead role in a feature film after her rise to fame in the Apple TV Plus seriesServant.
As reported byDeadline, Free will take the lead in the picture, which sees Arkasha Stevenson making her feature directorial debut and co-writing with Tim Smith, who will also serve as executive producer.The Dark Knighttrilogy writer David S. Goyerand Keith Levine will produce for Phantom Four, with Gracie Wheelan overseeing the film for 20th Century Studios.
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The first film in the franchise,The Omen, was released in 1976 to a slow start but gradually gained steam to become a cult horror classic. In the film, patriarch Richard Thorn replaces his deceased newborn son unbeknownst to his wife. The new child, Damien, becomes the center of several grisly deaths and accidents as he grows up, leading to the revelation that he is the Antichrist.The Omenpopularized the demonic child trope that is still often seen in pop culture today.Plot details forFirst Omenare tightly under wraps, but it is safe to say that the prequel could focus on how Damien came to be born and what made him the prophesied Antichrist.
The Omenspawned three sequels,Damien: Omen II(1978)Omen III: The Final Conflict(1981), andOmen IV: The Awakening(1991). There was also a reboot of the original produced in 2006 that starred Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles and was written by original film scribe David Seltzer. Unfortunately, the remake was universally panned by critics and audiences.
Free was first noticed inGame of Thrones, where she playedMyrcella Baratheon. She followed up that performance by appearing opposite Miles Teller in the miniseriesToo Old to Die Youngabout an LA detective leading a double life as a killer. The actress continued to make waves with her appearance in the Apple TV Plus showServant, where she plays Leanne Grayson, the new nanny for the Turner’s reborn doll son Jericho.Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalanis an executive producer for the show as well as the director of several episodes.
Servant, also starring Lauren Ambrose and Rupert Grint, sees a young couple struggling to deal with grief while raising their reborn doll child and experiencing supernatural events. So, Free is certainly in somewhat familiar territory withThe Omenprequel.
