The Omen

The Omen is a 1976 supernatural horror film directed by Richard Donner and written by David Seltzer. An international co-production of the United Kingdom and the United States, it stars Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner, Harvey Spencer Stephens (in his film debut), Billie Whitelaw, Patrick Troughton, Martin Benson, and Leo McKern. The film's plot follows Damien Thorn, a young child replaced at birth by his father, unbeknownst to his wife, after their biological child dies shortly after birth. While a series of mysterious events and violent deaths occur around the family and Damien enters childhood, they come to understand he is in fact the prophesied Antichrist. Released theatrically by 20th Century-Fox in June 1976, The Omen initially received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, grossing over $78.7 million at worldwide box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1976. The film earned two Oscar nominations, including a win for Jerry Goldsmith's musical score, and retrospective reviews have been more favorable. The film spawned the Omen franchise, with Damien – Omen II released two years later, followed by The Final Conflict (1981) and Omen IV: The Awakening (1991), as well as a 2006 remake and 2024 prequel. It also spawned a 2016 television series that ran for one season on A&E.