Damien: Complete Series
April 11, 2024 1:24 PM - All Seasons - Subscribe
[TRAILER] After discovering his origins, Damien Thorn must cope with life as the Anti-Christ.
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. Created by Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead). It ran for one season.
Starring Bradley James as Damien Thorn and Harvey Spencer Stephens as young Damien (appearance in archive footage only), as well as Megalyn Echikunwoke, Omid Abtahi, David Meunier, Barbara Hershey, Scott Wilson, Gerry Pearson.
Available for digital purchase in the US on various outlets. JustWatch.
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. Created by Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead). It ran for one season.
Starring Bradley James as Damien Thorn and Harvey Spencer Stephens as young Damien (appearance in archive footage only), as well as Megalyn Echikunwoke, Omid Abtahi, David Meunier, Barbara Hershey, Scott Wilson, Gerry Pearson.
Available for digital purchase in the US on various outlets. JustWatch.
I haven't started watching it yet, though I now have a copy.
I am actually fascinated by the number of forgotten attempts to spin this franchise back up. Omen IV (intended as the first for a series of TV movies), the theatrical The Omen (2006), the first Omen TV pilot (intended to expand the IP into a an anthology), then this. The only one of these things not entirely forgotten seems to be the 2006 film
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:20 AM on April 12
I am actually fascinated by the number of forgotten attempts to spin this franchise back up. Omen IV (intended as the first for a series of TV movies), the theatrical The Omen (2006), the first Omen TV pilot (intended to expand the IP into a an anthology), then this. The only one of these things not entirely forgotten seems to be the 2006 film
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:20 AM on April 12
The conspiratorial corporations angle would be a great angle for an extended show. But the plot description makes me wonder if they're going to go that route.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:32 AM on April 12
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:32 AM on April 12
I watched the pilot when it debuted, and I remember not hating it. But I was baffled why they chose to make Damien a sympathetic protagonist when a literal Antichrist is the perfect setup for an antihero, which was at that time all the rage.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 1:17 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]
posted by kittens for breakfast at 1:17 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]
I watched the pilot. It's the perfect example of what happens when the rights holders to an IP decide it's time to explore it again on TV, not because there is a fresh take to explore, but because it seems like the market is readfy to pay for the IP again.
They hired intelligent and professional showrunners, who hired skilled crew and cast, and they mounted a handomsely made production... with no particularly urgent new ideas or personal investment in the story lighting a fire under anything.
It's fine. A pro like Glen Mazzara could probably go to a bookstore, close his eyes, and pick a book at random to make into a TV series and come up with something "fine." But bringing this back as a series should really call for a fresh take, and making Damien sympathetic--even if they maybe intended to have him break bad in a Satanic way later--wasn't it.
I would kill to see an Omen show that leaned in hard on the connections the film series flirted with on the connections between pure evil and the limitless power of the rich. Have his parents be the worst: an Instagram influencer rich mom who sees her child as a product, not a person; an absent father who prefers the kid be dealt with by other people and can't so much spare a hug for the boy when he's crying. Make the show the tragedy of a kid set up to be the Antichrist, but who was nevertheless provided umpteen offramps to take, if only he was afforded the human kindness to get him there. THAT would be interesting.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:33 AM on April 14 [3 favorites]
They hired intelligent and professional showrunners, who hired skilled crew and cast, and they mounted a handomsely made production... with no particularly urgent new ideas or personal investment in the story lighting a fire under anything.
It's fine. A pro like Glen Mazzara could probably go to a bookstore, close his eyes, and pick a book at random to make into a TV series and come up with something "fine." But bringing this back as a series should really call for a fresh take, and making Damien sympathetic--even if they maybe intended to have him break bad in a Satanic way later--wasn't it.
I would kill to see an Omen show that leaned in hard on the connections the film series flirted with on the connections between pure evil and the limitless power of the rich. Have his parents be the worst: an Instagram influencer rich mom who sees her child as a product, not a person; an absent father who prefers the kid be dealt with by other people and can't so much spare a hug for the boy when he's crying. Make the show the tragedy of a kid set up to be the Antichrist, but who was nevertheless provided umpteen offramps to take, if only he was afforded the human kindness to get him there. THAT would be interesting.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:33 AM on April 14 [3 favorites]
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posted by whir at 9:24 AM on April 12