The Omen has always been an interesting attempt at an adult horror franchise. And now that the world of Damien Thorne is being resurrected for a modern audience thanks to A&E TV, it’ll be interesting to see how people today react to the idea of an Anti-Christ who questions his role in the coming apocalypse. This new teaser gives us our best look yet at the upcoming series:
It looks like this new series is something of a reboot of Damien: Omen II. In that film, Damien Thorne is a young child who finally learns he’s the son of the Devil, struggles with this immensely life-changing knowledge, and eventually embraces his dark destiny. Fans of the series will notice a few things of interest in this trailer, most notably the inclusion of photos and footage from the original film. It’s obvious that there’s going to be an adjustment of time here, otherwise Damien would be well into his 40s and buying a sports car to cope with his mid-life crisis.
Another item of note that we see is one of the Daggers of Megiddo, the only objects on Earth that are capable of killing the Anti-Christ. Considering that fans of The Omen aren’t as wide-spread as they used to be, there will have to be a lot of re-introduction of mythology to get new viewers up to speed. The more the merrier!
It also looks like another franchise mainstay — a protective maternal figure that uses rottweilers as guards for Damien — will be played by Barbara Hershey, known recently for her turn in the Insidious series. From what this trailer shows us, it looks like she’ll be bringing just the right balance of warmth and menace to the role.
A&E has done well with their Bates Motel series, and seeing as how The Walking Dead (former showrunner Glen Mazzara is taking charge on Damien) and American Horror Story have revitalized horror television in a big way, Damien could end up being the surprise treat of the season.
Damien premieres on A&E on March 7, 10/9C.