13 Eerie Details About 'The Omen'

Nearly half a century after its release, The Omen remains one of the most chilling films ever made, tainting the name "Damien" for generations. Interestingly, the name now synonymous with evil was not the screenwriter's initial pick. Discover what the original choice was, along with 12 other spine-tingling tidbits about this iconic horror movie.

1. The movie underwent two title changes.

Originally titled The Antichrist, it was later rebranded as The Birthmark.

2. The child actor portraying Damien was chosen after assaulting the director.

During his audition, 4-year-old Harvey Stephens was asked by director Richard Donner to demonstrate a challenging scene. Donner instructed Stephens to attack him, and the young actor did so with a direct hit to Donner's groin. This bold act secured Stephens the role of Damien.

3. The character Damien was initially given another name.

Screenwriter David Seltzer initially wanted to name the antichrist Domlin, inspired by the unruly child of a friend. However, his wife persuaded him against it, citing the potential harm to the child and their friendship. Seltzer eventually chose the name Damien, inspired by Father Damien, the founder of the first leper colony in Hawaii.

4. Damien's hair was naturally blonde.

At the time of his casting, Stephens naturally had wild blonde hair. To better portray the devil's offspring, his hair was straightened and dyed black.

5. Charlton Heston was a potential candidate for the role of Robert Thorn.

William Holden and Roy Scheider reportedly declined the role of the American ambassador, leading to Gregory Peck's casting. Holden later took on the role of Robert’s brother, Richard, in the 1978 sequel Damien: Omen II.

6. Gregory Peck's son tragically took his own life just before the start of filming.

This heartbreaking event influenced Peck, who was semi-retired, to accept the role of Robert Thorn. His agent urged him to take the part, believing it would help him focus and stay active.

7. The actress who played Damien's first nanny is Jack Palance's daughter.

In one of the film's early scenes, Damien's nanny horrifically leaps from a window and hangs herself during his birthday party. The role was portrayed by Holly Palance, daughter of acclaimed actor Jack Palance, who later narrated The Omen Legacy, a 2001 documentary about the film's production.

8. Lee Remick's fear during the baboon scene was genuine.

In one memorable scene, Damien’s mother takes him to a safari park, where baboons, seemingly sensing his malevolence, aggressively assault their car. To achieve this, handlers withheld food from the baboons overnight and placed it on and around the car the next morning. To provoke their anger, two baby baboons were placed inside the car with the actors and a trainer, causing the adults to react fiercely. Director Donner later revealed that Lee Remick’s screams in the scene were entirely genuine.

9. Peck and Donner clashed over a single scene during production.

Peck insisted on portraying Robert Thorn’s rage by smashing objects after learning of his wife’s death, but Donner preferred to focus on Thorn’s reaction after the initial shock. The disagreement lasted a full day before Peck reluctantly agreed to follow Donner’s direction. After reviewing the footage, Peck admitted Donner’s approach was the right choice.

10. The film’s score earned an Academy Award.

Composer Jerry Goldsmith nearly skipped the Oscars, fearing another loss after numerous nominations. Fortunately, he attended and won Best Original Score for The Omen. His piece “Ave Satani” was also nominated for Best Original Song, marking Goldsmith’s sole Oscar win out of 18 career nominations.

11. The film’s marketing campaign was designed to terrify.

To build anticipation, ominous posters and promotional materials were distributed across the U.S., featuring chilling messages like:

• "Good morning. You are one day closer to the end of the world.”
• “Remember ... you have been warned.”
• “It is a warning foretold for thousands of years. It is our final warning. It is The Omen.”

12. The production might have been plagued by a curse.

Similar to other horror films, eerie occurrences during filming led the cast and crew to suspect they had provoked supernatural forces. Here are some of the unsettling incidents:

• Peck, Seltzer, and executive producer Mace Neufeld experienced lightning strikes or near-misses on their flights.
• The crew initially planned to use a specific plane for aerial shots but switched last minute due to scheduling issues. The original plane crashed, resulting in no survivors.
• Donner’s hotel was bombed by the IRA the day after filming the safari park scene.
• A zookeeper at the safari park was fatally attacked by lions the day after shooting.
• During the graveyard scene, the stunt double for Peck was attacked by Rottweilers, which bit through his protective gear.
• After production, special effects director John Richardson and his assistant, Liz Moore, worked on A Bridge Too Far. While filming in the Netherlands, they were involved in a severe car accident. Richardson survived, but Moore was tragically decapitated—an eerie parallel to the decapitation scene Richardson created in The Omen.

13. Stephens largely stepped away from acting, except for one significant appearance.

After The Omen, Stephens mostly retired from acting but made a brief return in 2006 with a cameo as a journalist in the remake of The Omen, starring Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles. The remake was released on 06/06/06.

This article was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for 2022.