The Omen (1976) still holds up as one of the most chilling horror films of all time, and 20th Century Studios is developing a prequel with Legion and Briarpatch director Arkasha Stevenson set to make her feature debut on the project.
Plot details for The First Omen (we are not off to a great start with that title) are still under wraps, but we assume it will focus on The Devil's earlier attempt to spawn an antichrist who is destined to being about Armageddon.
Stevenson is also penning the script rewrite along with writing partner Tim Smith, while David S. Goyer and Keith Levine will produce for Phantom Four.
The original movie told the story of an American ambassador (Gregory Peck) and his wife (Lee Remick), who slowly come to the realization that their adopted child, Damien, is the son of Satan ("his mother was a jackal!"). The movie spawned a pair of inferior sequels and a 2006 remake which, while technically well-made, completely failed to recapture the dread of the '70s film.
We're not hoping for too much from this one, but Stevenson has done some quality TV work in the past, so we're willing to wait and see how things pan out before writing it off.