'The Omen' Premiered in Theaters in the UK 50 Years Ago Today

Horror has been experiencing a box-office resurgence over the past few years. The success of recent mega-hits like A24's Backrooms and Focus Features' Obsession is a stark reminder that audiences crave quality storytelling in the oft-underestimated genre.

On this day, 50 years ago, another horror movie premiered that would go on to dominate the box office: The Omen. Debuting on June 6, 1976, in the UK, the supernatural horror classic stars Harvey Spencer Stephens (his film debut, no less) as Damien Thorn, whose father, Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck), replaced him at birth without his mother Katherine Thorn's (Lee Remick) knowledge following their infant's death.

What transpires next is a series of inexplicable events and violent deaths as the family learns that Damien is the Antichrist and the son of the Devil. Rounding out the cast are David Warner as Jennings, Billie Whitelaw as Mrs. Baylock, Patrick Troughton as Father Brennan, Martin Benson as Father Spiletto, and Leo McKern as Carl Bugenhagen. Richard Donner directed from a script by David Seltzer.

The film soon hit theaters in the US on June 25, 1976. It grossed an impressive $60,922,980 globally on a $2.8 million budget. It catapulted to No. 1 at the box office and became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1976.

At the time, critical reception was mixed; one critic, Gene Shalit, called it a "piece of junk," while The New York Times declared The Omen "a dreadfully silly film" before complimenting its pacing. Variety lauded Donner's directorial prowess and observed that the script was "too predictable" and "contrived." On Rotten Tomatoes, the horror sits at 82% on the Tomatometer and 81% on the Popcornmeter.

Retrospective reviews have painted The Omen in a better light, with the Chicago Film Critics' Association ranking it at No. 31 on its list of the "scariest films." Filmsite.org also included the classic in its list of "The Greatest Films of 1976."

The Omen gave birth to a franchise, spawning the 1978 sequel Damien - Omen II, The Final Conflict (1981), Omen IV: The Awakening (1991), The Omen: 666 (2006), and the prequel The First Omen (2024). Damien, a horror series based on the movies, debuted on A&E in 2016 for one season. It starred Bradley James as the titular character.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 1:28 PM.