Summary
-
The First Omen
is set to earn over $8 million in its opening weekend, the franchise’s second-best debut. - However, the movie’s opening weekend box office performance is not enough to make up for its $30 million budget.
- Though it was originally projected to hit No. 3 on the domestic chart, it has fallen behind
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
.
The First Omen‘s box office plight has worsened during its opening weekend. The new movie is a prequel to the 1976 horror classic The Omen, which was the seventh highest-grossing movie of that year and went on to get two Oscar nominations, winning one. It is currently on a path to earn more than $8 million in its opening weekend, which is the second-best debut in the franchise but doesn’t make up for its $30 million budget. It was previously projected to take No. 3 on the chart behind Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Monkey Man.
Per Deadline, the First Omen release is now set to hitNo. 4 on the domestic chart by the end of its opening weekend. This has come about because the third weekend of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now projected to earn a 3-day total of $9 million, rising up the chart to claim the No. 3 slot. While this total is close enough to the horror movie’s $8.4 million projected opening that they could swap places on the chart once the full numbers are calculated on Monday, Frozen Empire‘s lead is significant enough that Omen‘s prospects are not looking good.
Will Strong Reviews Be Able To Help The First Omen?
The First Omen Has A Rotten Tomatoes Score Of 78%
This opening weekend result is disappointing for the horror movie, which reportedly cost $30 million and thus likely needs to hit a break-even point around $60 million before it can be considered profitable. However, The First Omen reviews are quite strong, earning a Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score of 78%. This is the best critic score since 1976 for the entire franchise, which now comprises six movies and a television show. Below, see how the entire franchise’s critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes compare with one another:
|
Title |
RT Critic Score |
RT Audience Score |
|---|---|---|
|
The Omen (1976) |
85% |
81% |
|
Damien: Omen II (1978) |
48% |
49% |
|
Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981) |
29% |
33% |
|
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991) |
17% |
23% |
|
The Omen (2006) |
26% |
40% |
|
Damien (2016) |
14% |
83% |
|
The First Omen (2024) |
78% |
64% |
With the second-best critic and audience scores of all the Omen movies (and the third-best audience score including the Damien show), The First Omen could prove to be a word-of-mouth hit. Word of mouth can provide huge boosts to horror movies, especially those that – like this title – have been generally praised for more extreme approaches to their material. This was the case with the gory 2022 slasher sequel Terrifier 2, which ended up becoming a smash hit, earning $15.7 million against its $250,000 budget.
The First Omen needs to make considerably more than $15.7 million, so it remains to be seen if it can become profitable. However, it has the added benefit of being part of a horror franchise that has previously performed well overseas. The 2006 remake earned more than half of its $120 million global haul in international markets, so the prequel’s prospects may look considerably less grim when its worldwide opening is properly calculated.
Source: Deadline
The First Omen
The First Omen is a horror film from director Arkasha Stevenson that acts as a prequel to the 1976 film The Omen. The film follows a young woman who goes to Rome to become a nun but begins to question her faith after encountering a terrifying darkness that aims to spawn an evil incarnate.
- Director
- Arkasha Stevenson
- Release Date
- April 5, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Phantom Four
- Distributor(s)
- 20th Century
- Writers
- Ben Jacoby , Tim Smith , Arkasha Stevenson , Keith Thomas
- Cast
- Nell Tiger Free , Tawfeek Barhom , sonia braga , Ralph Ineson , Bill Nighy
- Franchise(s)
- The Omen