Following a brief teaser, 20th Century Studios has released the full trailer and a pair of new posters for The First Omen, which proclaim the occult prequel "the most terrifying movie of the year."
Possibly a little premature (we'll see if the critics agree), but the studio clearly has confidence in Legion and Briarpatch director Arkasha Stevenson's revival of the classic horror franchise.
Servant alum Nell Tiger Free plays a young American woman who travels to Rome to begin a life of service to the church. There, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
We weren't sure exactly how this movie would connect to the original Omen trilogy, which focused on the rise to power of Satan's son, Damien Thorne, but the trailer appears to confirm that it will tell the story of the conception and birth of the Antichrist prior to the child being unwittingly adopted by the Thornes.
This would make the pregnant girl from the trailer Damien's mother, who is definitely less hairy than we expected (a jackal birthed the demonic baby in the '70s movie).
The trailer also features several nods to the original film, including an "it's all for you" suicide, and a priest who appears to know what the sinister cult is planning.
Have a look at the new trailer and posters below, and let us know what you think in the comments section.
"When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate. The First Omen stars Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Northman), and Bill Nighy (Living).
The film is directed by Arkasha Stevenson based on characters created by David Seltzer (The Omen), with a story by Ben Jacoby (Bleed) and a screenplay by Tim Smith & Arkasha Stevenson and Keith Thomas (Firestarter). The producers are David S. Goyer (Hellraiser) and Keith Levine (The Night House) and the executive producers are Tim Smith, Whitney Brown (Rosaline), and Gracie Wheelan.
The original movie, which still retains its power to chill, 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. 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.
The First Omen is set to arrive in theaters on April 5.