The Omen (2006 film)

Last updated

The Omen
The Omen 2006 poster.gif
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Moore
Written by David Seltzer
Produced byGlen Williamsonn
John Moore
Starring
Cinematography Jonathan Sela
Edited by Dan Zimmerman
Music by Marco Beltrami
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • June 6, 2006 (2006-06-06)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million
Box office$120 million

The Omen (also known as The Omen: 666) is a 2006 American supernatural horror film directed by John Moore and written by David Seltzer. The fifth installment in The Omen series, it is a remake of the 1976 film of the same title, which was also written by Seltzer. This version stars Julia Stiles, Liev Schreiber, Mia Farrow, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Michael Gambon and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick in his feature film debut.

Contents

It was released worldwide on June 6, 2006, by 20th Century Fox. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $120 million against a $25 million budget.

Plot

Robert Thorn, an American diplomat stationed in Italy is told that his son was stillborn. Unknown to his unconscious wife, Katherine, Robert adopts an orphaned newborn at the suggestion of the hospital's chaplain Catholic priest, Father Spiletto. Naming him Damien, Robert and Katherine raise the boy. Robert's career ascends over the course of the next five years. He is named Deputy Ambassador to the Court of St. James's in the United Kingdom. Following the death of the previous ambassador in a suspicious vehicle fire caused by a vagrant, Robert assumes his position and settles in a large estate just outside London. However, disturbing events begin to occur, including the suicide of Damien's nanny, who saw a black dog and made eye contact with it, at his birthday party.

Robert is approached by Father Brennan, who claims to have been involved with events surrounding Damien's birth. Meanwhile, photographer Keith Jennings finds that several of his photographs contain mysterious omens, including premonitions of people's deaths. A new nanny, Mrs. Baylock, is hired. Tension rises when Mrs. Baylock starts to make decisions without the consent of the Thorns, including adopting a Rottweiler for Damien's protection.

Following an incident near a chapel in which Damien attacks Katherine, she begins experiencing vivid dreams about her son, one of these involving a red-hooded jackal skeleton. When the Thorns visit a zoo, the animals react violently at the sight of Damien. Katherine begins to wonder if there is something wrong with Damien. Father Brennan confronts Robert, telling him that Damien's mother was a jackal and that the boy is the Antichrist. He explains that Damien must die and a man named Bugenhagen who is located in Megiddo can assist. After being rebuked, Father Brennan is killed during a lightning storm.

Katherine discovers she is pregnant and is determined to get an abortion, in fear of having a child similar to Damien. Soon afterward, Damien causes an accident in which Katherine is severely injured resulting in her miscarriage. While recovering in the hospital, Katherine confides in Robert her suspicions that Damien is evil. Robert decides to rendezvous with Jennings and search for Damien's biological mother. The pair discover the hospital where Damien was delivered has since been demolished after a fire. They travel to Subiaco and meet Father Spiletto, who directs them to a graveyard. There they find the grave of Damien's mother, who is revealed to indeed have been a jackal. In the neighboring tomb, Robert discovers the corpse of his murdered biological son. He and Jennings are attacked by a pack of dogs and barely escape.

Mrs. Baylock visits Katherine in the hospital and causes her to have an air embolism which kills her. Learning of Katherine's death, Robert goes to Megiddo, meets Bugenhagen and receives instructions on how to kill Damien on consecrated ground with seven sacrificial daggers. Bugenhagen tells Robert to examine Damien for a birthmark in the shape of three sixes ("666"). However, Robert refuses to kill his son and throws the daggers on the ground. While reaching down to pick up the daggers, Jennings is suddenly decapitated by a falling sign.

Robert takes the daggers, arrives home and is attacked by Mrs. Baylock's Rottweiler, which he traps in the basement. In Damien's room, he finds the 666 birthmark. Mrs. Baylock attacks Robert. He fends her off, takes Damien, and drives to a nearby cathedral, running over Mrs. Baylock in the process. Pursued by the police, Robert flees to a church to kill Damien but is shot dead before he can by a Diplomatic Protection officer.

As the Pope simultaneously dies, Robert's funeral is attended by the President of the United States who holds Damien's hand. Damien then looks at the audience and smiles knowingly as the credits roll.

Cast

Harvey Spencer Stephens, who portrayed Damien in the original film, made a cameo appearance as a reporter.

Production

The film was greenlit in July 2005 with Dan McDermott attached to write and John Moore directing. [1] McDermott was later denied a writing credit by the Writers Guild of America, as the screenplay was determined to be too similar to David Seltzer's script for the 1976 film. Instead, Seltzer received sole credit, despite being uninvolved with the remake's production. In an episode of the Scriptnotes podcast, screenwriter Craig Mazin cited this as an unusual outcome of the WGA's arbitration process. [2] Chap Taylor also did some uncredited rewriting. [3] [ better source needed ]

According to the feature commentary on the DVD, hosted by Moore, editor Dan Zimmerman, and producer Glenn Williamson, the search for Damien spanned Los Angeles, London and New York. In 2005 newcomer Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick was cast in the part, with his screen test doubling as the movie's teaser trailer.[ citation needed ]

Principal photography began on October 3, 2005, at Barrandov Studios in Prague, Czech Republic where the film was mostly shot. The "Jerusalem" scenes were filmed in Matera, Italy and some of the London scenes were shot in Herbert Park, Dublin. [4] [5]

In May 2021, a scandal arose in Croatia after Split-Dalmatia County prefect Blaženko Boban confessed to the Minister of Tourism Nikolina Brnjac in front of the media that, in order to chase the film crew away, he deliberately staged a fire in Salona, which was to become the movie set for the scenes filmed in the country. He apparently did it because, in one scene, "Satan was supposed to come out of the tomb of Saint Domnius". Director John Moore told the media afterwards that the cost of relocation was US$500,000 (equivalent to $725,817in 2022). [6] After police announced that they are investigating the case, Boban denied the whole thing, claiming he that he had been joking. [7] [8]

Music

The Omen
Soundtrack album by
Released2006
Genre Film music
Length43:30
Label Varèse Sarabande
Fox Music

The score was composed by Marco Beltrami, using cues from Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar-winning score for the original film.

All tracks are written by Marco Beltrami

No.TitleLength
1."The Omen Main Titles"2:58
2."The Adoption"4:12
3."Ambassador Gets Fired"1:33
4."New House / Damien's Deliverance"2:20
5."The Nanny's Noose"2:05
6."A Cross To Bear"2:49
7."Ms. Baylock"1:50
8."Damien's Tantrum"1:52
9."More Tantrums"1:05
10."Kate Doubts"1:05
11."Scooter"2:44
12."Don't Let Him Kill Me"1:29
13."On The Hills Of Spiletto"6:58
14."Dogs In The Cemetery"2:02
15."Drive To Bugenhagen"1:31
16."Dirty Deeds"4:12
17."Altar Of Sacrifice"4:10
18."The Funeral"1:41
19."Boy Genius"2:52
20."Omen 76 / 06"3:30
Total length:43:30

Release

The film was released on June 6, 2006, referencing the Number of the Beast, and mirroring the 1976 film's similar release date of June 6, 1976. [9]

Box office

The film recorded the highest opening Tuesday box office gross in domestic box office history in the United States for the time, by earning more than US$12 million. As of January 2024, it holds the 6th highest opening Tuesday at the domestic box-office of all time, behind Spider-Man: Far From Home , Transformers , Les Misérables , Django Unchained & Sound of Freedom (film) . [10]

Fox initially stated that the film earned US$12,633,666 on its first day, but later Bruce Snyder, Fox's president of distribution admitted that they were "having a little fun" by manipulating the figure to contain the number of the beast in the last three digits. [11]

The film ended up grossing US$120 million worldwide, making it a strong success on a budget of US$25 million. It finished as the 59th highest-grossing film of 2006, the 12th highest-grossing R-rated movie of 2006 and the 2nd highest domestic gross of The Omen series when adjusted for inflation. [12]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 26% based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 4.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Even with the force of a 'classic' behind it, remake fever can't hold up the hollowness of this style-drenched Omen." [13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [14]

James Berardinelli commented: "On every level, The Omen isn't just bad filmmaking, it's bad storytelling". He especially criticized its similarity to the original movie, which he also greatly disliked. [15] Rolling Stone also made the latter point: "Not since Gus Van Sant inexplicably directed a shot-by-shot remake of Hitchcock's Psycho has a thriller been copied with so little point or impact". [16]

Roger Ebert gave the film a "thumbs up" and three stars out of four, in contrast to his negative review of the original, praising John Moore for letting the strong story unfold itself rather than foregrounding visual effects. [17] The Washington Post 's Stephen Hunter praised the film: "It's handsome in the way it's fast-moving: sleek, well-engineered, full of gooses and honks. Some of the casting seems a little off. Still, it works." [18]

Other assessments from critics include:

While Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick's performance did win him a Chainsaw award from Fangoria magazine for "Creepiest Kid", David Thewlis was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor in 2007, but lost to M. Night Shyamalan for Lady in the Water . [22]

In 2017, Slashfilm listed it as one of the 15 worst horror remakes of all time, citing the direction as lifeless and the film pointless due to its fidelity to the original. [23]

Home media

The film was released in the US as a Region 1 DVD on October 17, 2006. [24] It was released in the UK as a Region 2 DVD on October 23, 2006. [25] It was released in Australia as a Region 4 DVD on March 7, 2007.[ citation needed ]

The film was released on Blu-ray on November 14, 2006.[ clarification needed ][ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Omen</i> 1976 film by Richard Donner

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, 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. As a series of mysterious events and violent deaths occur around the family and Damien enters childhood, they come to learn he is in fact the prophesied Antichrist.

<i>Charlies Angels: Full Throttle</i> 2003 American film by McG

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a 2003 American action comedy film directed by McG and written by John August, and Cormac and Marianne Wibberley. It is the sequel to 2000's Charlie's Angels and the second installment in the Charlie's Angels film series, which is a continuation of the story that began with the television series of the same name by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billie Whitelaw</span> English actress (1932–2014)

Billie Honor Whitelaw was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was also known for her portrayal of Mrs. Baylock, the demonic nanny in the 1976 horror film The Omen.

<i>Cloak & Dagger</i> (1984 film) 1984 film

Cloak & Dagger is a 1984 American spy adventure film directed by Richard Franklin, and starring Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman, and Michael Murphy. It was written by Tom Holland and based on a Cornell Woolrich short story, "The Boy Cried Murder", which had been filmed as The Window (1949). It was originally released in a double feature with The Last Starfighter on July 13, 1984, and was released separately on August 10, 1984. The film grossed $9.7 million in the United States. Thomas was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Actor.

<i>Damien: Omen II</i> 1978 film by Don Taylor

Damien: Omen II is a 1978 supernatural horror film directed by Don Taylor and the second installment of The Omen series. It stars William Holden and Lee Grant, with Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Robert Foxworth, Lew Ayres, Sylvia Sidney, Lance Henriksen, Ian Hendry, and Leo McKern. Set seven years after the first film, it follows a now-pubescent Damien Thorn (Scott-Taylor) as he begins to realize his destiny as the Antichrist.

<i>Omen IV: The Awakening</i> 1991 made-for-television film directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard

Omen IV: The Awakening is a 1991 American supernatural horror television film directed by Jorge Montesi and Dominique Othenin-Girard and written by Brian Taggert, from a story by producer Harvey Bernhard and Taggert. The film is the fourth installment in The Omen series and the final installment of the original series. It stars Faye Grant, Michael Woods, Michael Lerner, and Asia Vieira. Its plot follows two attorneys who adopt a young girl, unaware of the fact that she is to possibly succeed Damien Thorn as the Antichrist.

<i>Omen III: The Final Conflict</i> 1981 film by Graham Baker

Omen III: The Final Conflict is a 1981 supernatural horror film directed by Graham Baker. It is the third installment in The Omen series. Starring Sam Neill, Lisa Harrow and Rossano Brazzi, the film tells the progression of the now adult Damien Thorn to a position of earthly power, set against the countdown to the Second Coming and attempts of a group of priests to kill the Antichrist. Richard Donner, director of the first Omen film, returns as executive producer. The film was released in theatres on March 20, 1981.

<i>Date Movie</i> 2006 American romantic parody film

Date Movie is a 2006 American romantic comedy parody film written by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, directed by Seltzer, and produced by Paul Schiff and Friedberg. It was released on February 17, 2006 by 20th Century Fox and stars Alyson Hannigan, Adam Campbell, Sophie Monk, Tony Cox, Jennifer Coolidge, Eddie Griffin, and Fred Willard. It is a parody of the romantic comedy film genre, and mostly references My Big Fat Greek Wedding,Meet the Fockers, Hitch, Legally Blonde, and Bridget Jones's Diary. Though reviews for it were more positive than Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer's later films, Date Movie was panned by critics but was a box office success, grossing almost $85 million on a $20 million budget.

<i>The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning</i> 2006 American slasher film directed by Jonathan Liebesman

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a 2006 American slasher film and a prequel to the 2003 film. The sixth installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, it was written by Sheldon Turner from a story by Turner and David J. Schow, directed by Jonathan Liebesman and co-produced by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. The film's story takes place four years before its predecessor. It stars Jordana Brewster, Diora Baird, Taylor Handley, Matt Bomer and R. Lee Ermey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Seltzer</span> American screenwriter

David Seltzer is an American screenwriter, producer and director, perhaps best known for writing the screenplays for The Omen (1976) and Bird on a Wire (1990). As writer-director, Seltzer's credits include the 1986 teen tragi-comedy Lucas starring Corey Haim, Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder, the 1988 comedy Punchline starring Sally Field and Tom Hanks, and 1992's Shining Through starring Melanie Griffith and Michael Douglas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damien Thorn</span> Fictional character

Damien Thorn is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of The Omen franchise. He is the Antichrist and the son of the Devil. The character has been portrayed by Harvey Spencer Stephens, Jonathan Scott-Taylor, Sam Neill, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick and Bradley James.

Seamus Liam Davey-Fitzpatrick is an American actor. His first feature film role was as Damien Thorn in the 2006 remake of the thriller The Omen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunchacko Boban</span> Indian actor and film producer

Kunchacko Boban is an Indian actor and film producer. He is referred to as Chackochan, and is called "chocolate boy", because of his romeo roles. He works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 100 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the Kunchacko family. Kunchacko's debut was as a child in the film Dhanya (1981) produced by his father Boban Kunchacko.

The Omen is a media franchise centering on a series of supernatural horror films which began in 1976. The series centers on Damien Thorn, a child born of Satan and given to Robert and Katherine Thorn, before being passed along the Thorn families as a child. It is revealed among the families that Damien is in fact meant to be the Antichrist, and as an adult is attempting to gain control of the Thorn business and reach for the presidency.

<i>Were No Angels</i> (1989 film) 1989 film by Neil Jordan

We're No Angels is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Neil Jordan. A remake of the 1955 film of the same name, the film stars Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, and Demi Moore. It received mixed reviews and grossed $10.5 million on a $20 million budget.

<i>My Father the Hero</i> (1994 film) 1994 French film

My Father the Hero is a 1994 French-American comedy-drama directed by Steve Miner and starring Gérard Depardieu and Katherine Heigl. It is an English-language remake of the 1991 French film Mon père, ce héros, which starred Depardieu in a similar role.

<i>Meet the Spartans</i> 2008 film by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer

Meet the Spartans is a 2008 American parody film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. The film is mainly a parody of the 2006 film 300, although it also references many other films, TV shows, people and pop cultural events of the time, in a manner similar to previous films that Friedberg and Seltzer had been involved in such as Scary Movie, Date Movie and Epic Movie. The film stars Sean Maguire, Carmen Electra and Kevin Sorbo.

<i>Disaster Movie</i> 2008 American superhero comedy film

Disaster Movie is a 2008 American parody film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and produced by Peter Safran, Friedberg, and Seltzer. It stars Matt Lanter, Vanessa Minnillo, Gary "G Thang" Johnson, Crista Flanagan, Nicole Parker, Ike Barinholtz, Carmen Electra, Tony Cox, and Kim Kardashian in her feature film debut. It was released on August 29, 2008, by Lionsgate. The film is mainly a parody of the disaster film genre, although it also references many other films, TV shows, people, and pop culture events of the time.

<i>Vampires Suck</i> 2010 American vampire parody film

Vampires Suck is a 2010 American parody film written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. It stars Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Christopher N. Riggi, Ken Jeong, Anneliese van der Pol, and Arielle Kebbel. The film is a parody of The Twilight Saga franchise. Like the previous Friedberg and Seltzer movies, the film was panned by critics for its humor and plot. 20th Century Fox theatrically released the film on August 18, 2010.

Damien is an A&E television series based on the horror film series The Omen, which serves as a direct sequel to the 1976 film of the same name and ignores the film's various sequels. The show was ordered as a series on August 25, 2014, by Lifetime, but was moved to A&E on April 29, 2015, where it premiered on March 7, 2016.

References

  1. Fleming, Michael; Brodesser, Claude (July 19, 2005). "Remake an 'Omen' for helmer". Variety . Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  2. "Scriptnotes, Ep 193: How writing credits work — Transcript". JohnAugust.com. April 17, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2020. Craig: '[...] There are cases for instance, the remake of The Omen, sole screenplay went to the writer of the first Omen because they felt that the remake just didn't change it enough'
  3. "Chap Taylor Biography". IMDB. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  4. "The Omen film locations". movie-locations.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  5. Dwyer, Michael (October 24, 2008). "Moore takes hit thriller Payne to the max". Irish Times. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  6. "'Omen' film crew leaves Croatia after objections by Catholic Church". The Irish Times . March 16, 2006. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  7. "Župan Boban ispričao ministrici Brnjac anegdotu i otkrio kako je zapalio set američkim filmašima i otjerao ih". Dnevnik.hr (in Croatian). May 2, 2021.
  8. "Je li župan inscenirao požar na setu filma 2005. godine? Za RTL Danas progovorili HDZ-ovac Boban i Hrvoje Hribar". RTL Hrvatska (in Croatian). May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  9. "Church fears return of Omen curse". the Guardian. June 4, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  10. "Biggest Tuesday at the Domestic Box Office". The Numbers. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  11. "Omen Opens to Tuesday Record". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  12. The Omen at Box Office Mojo
  13. "The Omen (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  14. "The Omen (2006) Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  15. "Reelviews Movie Reviews". Reelviews.net. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  16. (Posted: June 8, 2006) (June 8, 2006). "Omen : Review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 30, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2010.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. "The Omen :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. June 6, 2006. Retrieved January 25, 2010.[ dead link ]
  18. "Critic Review for The Omen on". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  19. Arendt, Paul. "BBC". BBC.
  20. Snider, Eric D. (2006) Movie Reviews: "The Omen." EricDSnider.com. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  21. "Empire Reviews Central". www.empireonline.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2006.
  22. "The Razzie Awards". Found: 27th Annual Razzie Award Nominees for Worst Supporting Actor. Retrieved February 11, 2007.
  23. "SlashFilm". Found: There are the worst horror remakes of all time. September 28, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  24. "product page". Amazon. October 17, 2006. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  25. "Omen review". Play.com. April 19, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2010.