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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. 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. Released theatrically by 20th Century-Fox in June 1976, The Omen received mixed reviews from critics but was a commercial success, grossing over $60 million at the U.S. box office and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of 1976. Retrospective reviews of the film have been more favorable as the film earned two Oscar nominations, including a win for Jerry Goldsmith's musical score. The film spawned the Omen franchise, with Damien: Omen II released two years later, followed by The Final Conflict (1981) and The Awakening (1991), as well as a 2006 remake and 2024 prequel. Plot American diplomat Robert Thorn and his wife Katherine are living in Rome, where Katherine gives birth to a boy who Robert is told died immediately. Hospital chaplain Father Spiletto persuades Robert to secretly adopt another baby whose mother just died in childbirth. Robert does not tell Katherine the child is not their own. They name him Damien. Five years later, Robert is Ambassador to the United Kingdom in London when mysterious phenomena begin to plague the Thorns: a menacing Rottweiler appears at their home, Damien's nanny publicly hangs herself during his fifth birthday party, new nanny Mrs. Baylock arrives unexpectedly, Damien violently resists entering a church, and Damien's presence frightens animals at a safari park. Father Brennan warns Robert about Damien's origins, hinting that he is not human and insisting Robert take Communion. He tells Robert that Damien is the son of Satan, that Katherine is pregnant, and that Damien will kill his unborn sibling and parents. Later, Father Brennan is killed by a falling lightning rod. Katherine tells Robert she wants an abortion, which he opposes. Damien knocks Katherine over a railing to the floor below, injuring and causing her to miscarry. Photographer Keith Jennings notices shadows in photographs of the nanny and Father Brennan that presaged their deaths. Keith shows Robert the photos along with news clippings and Biblical passages that suggest the coming of the Antichrist. He accompanies Robert to Rome to investigate Damien's birth. They learn that a fire destroyed the hospital, including Katherine's maternity records, and killed the staff on duty. They find Father Spiletto in a monastery severely burned, mute, blind in one eye, and partially paralyzed. He directs them to the cemetery where Damien's biological mother is buried. In Damien's mother's grave, Robert and Keith find a jackal carcass and, in the next plot, a child's skeleton with a shattered skull. Robert realizes that the child was his own son, murdered so that Damien could take his place. A pack of Rottweilers drives Robert and Keith from the cemetery. Robert calls Katherine in hospital to tell her she must leave London. Before she can do so, Mrs. Baylock throws her to her death from a window. Robert and Keith befriend Antichrist exorcism expert Carl Bugenhagen in Israel who says if Damien is the true Antichrist, he will bear a birthmark in the shape of three sixes. Carl gives Robert seven daggers with which to kill Damien on hallowed ground. Robert refuses to do so, but Keith remains convinced about the necessity of it. Afterwards, Keith is decapitated by a sheet of glass. Robert then reluctantly accepts his task. Robert finds the birthmark on the sleeping Damien's scalp and is attacked by Mrs. Baylock, whom he stabs to death. Armed with the daggers, Robert drives Damien to a cathedral. His erratic driving draws the attention of the police. Robert drags a screaming Damien onto the altar to kill him and begs God to forgive him, but the police arrive on the scene and shoot him to death before he can do so. The double funeral of Katherine and Robert is attended by the U.S. President and the First Lady, who have Damien with them. Damien turns and smiles at the camera. Cast Production Development According to producer Harvey Bernhard, the idea of a motion picture about the Antichrist came after a discussion about the Bible with Bob Munger, a friend of Bernhard's. When Munger told him about the idea in 1973, the producer immediately contacted screenwriter David Seltzer and hired him to write a screenplay. It took a year for Seltzer to write the script. The film was considered by Warner Bros. Pictures, but the project did not move forward until optioned by Alan Ladd Jr. of 20th Century Fox. Seltzer and Donner differed over the film's message. Donner favored an ambiguous reading of the script under which it would be left for the audience to decide whether Damien was the Antichrist or whether the series of violent deaths in the film were all just a string of unfortunate accidents. Seltzer rejected the ambiguity favored by Donner and pressed for an interpretation of his script that left no doubt for the audience that Damien Thorn was the Antichrist and that all of the deaths in the film were caused by the malevolent power of Satan, the interpretation that Bernhard chose to go with. Casting Bernhard claims Gregory Peck had been the choice to portray Ambassador Thorn from the beginning. Peck got involved with the project through his agent, who was friends with producer Bernhard. After reading the script, Peck reportedly liked the idea that it was more of a psychological thriller rather than a horror film and agreed to star in it. He was at first displeased with the props and effects for making the death scenes but was relieved to find how restrained and non-exploitative they were in the final film. Despite Bernhard's claim, there were other actors considered for the role because studios were reluctant to cast Peck as a child killer. Warner Bros. Pictures thought the role would be ideal for Oliver Reed. William Holden had also been approached for the role, but turned it down, claiming he did not want to star in a film about the devil. Holden would later portray Thorn's brother, Richard, in the sequel, Damien: Omen II (1978). A firm offer was made to Charlton Heston on July 19, 1975. He turned down the part on July 27, not wanting to spend an entire winter alone in Europe and also concerned that the film might have an exploitative feel if not handled carefully. Roy Scheider, Dick Van Dyke, and Charles Bronson were also considered for the role of Robert Thorn. Van Dyke turned down the role because of the violence and gore. Accord.... Discover the Lacey Thorn popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Lacey Thorn books.