Watch: 'The First Omen' Debuts Hauntingly Sinister New Trailer

The Omen franchise is back with The First Omen, a prequel story for the iconic horror franchise, and the movie just debuted its hauntingly sinister new trailer. The premiere clip teases an unsettling new chapter of the classic series, which is sure to terrify audiences. Watch the full trailer below, and check the movie out when it opens in theaters on April 5.

The official synopsis for The First Omen reads: "When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate." The movie stars Nell Tiger Free (Servant), Tawfeek Barhom (Mary Magdalene), Sonia Braga (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), and Bill Nighy (Underworld). The First Omen is directed by Arkasha Stevenson — based on characters created by The Omen writer David Seltzer — from a story by Ben Jacoby and a screenplay Stevenson wrote with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas (Firestarter).

The Omen debuted in 1976, with legendary actor Gregory Peck starring as a U.S. diplomat who becomes convinced that his son is the Anti-Christ, as foretold of in the Book of Revelation from the Bible. The movie was directed by Richard Donner, who would later go on to helm movies like Superman and The Goonies. The Omen was a big hit with critics and audiences alike, earning over $60 million on a budget of less than $3 million. The film also landed a pair of Academy Award nominations, including a win for composer Jerry Goldsmith for Best Original Score.

In the years that followed, The Omen spawned three sequels: Damien: Omen II (1978), Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981), and Omen IV: The Awakening (1991). Years later, in 2006, a remake of the original film was released with Julia Stiles Liev Schreiber starring. The film was successful at the box office, earning $120 million on a budget of $25 million, but was not a hit with critics.

Back in 2018, Donner spoke with Movies in Focus about his career and shared about taking on The Omen after having worked in TV for so long. "The thing is – The Omen had been around for a long time. It was called The Antichrist and eventually every studio in town tuned it down," he said. "When I read it, the reason I thought they turned it down was because it was a horror film and if they turned it into what I believed was a mystery-suspense-thriller and got rid of the cheesy cloven hoofs and devils, that maybe it would have a chance."

"My thoughts were echoed by Alan Ladd Jr who was then Head of Fox Studios, who said make it and do a mystery suspense and you've got a deal," Donner continued. "So, the look of it – sure! Since it was a big opportunity for me, I really carefully thought out the visualization and the whole approach to the film quite different to anything that I had done before. It was a great script."