The horror genre has been experiencing a resurgence at the box office in the last few years. The success of recent megahits like «Behind the Scenes» from A24 and «"Obsession »" from Focus Features, is a stark reminder that audiences are hungry for quality storytelling in this often-underrated genre.
On this day, 50 years ago, another horror film premiered that would later become a box office hit: «The Omen» . This classic supernatural horror film premiered in the UK on June 6, 1976. Starring Harvey Spencer Stevens (this was his film debut), who played Damien Thorn, whose father, Robert Thorn ( Gregory Peck ), replaced him at birth without the knowledge of his mother, Katherine Thorne ( Lee Remick ), after the death of their baby.
What follows is a series of unexplained events and violent deaths as the family discovers that Damien is the Antichrist and the son of the devil. Also starring David Warner as Jennings, Billie Whitelaw as Mrs. Baylock, Patrick Troughton as Father Brennan, Martin Benson as Spiletto's father and Leo McKern as Karl Bugenhagen. Directed by Richard Donner, wrote the script David Seltzer .
The film was released in the United States on June 25, 1976. With a budget of $2.8 million, it grossed an impressive $60,922,980 worldwide. It shot to number one at the box office and became one of the highest-grossing films of 1976.
At the time, critical reviews were mixed; one critic, Gene Shalit , called him a "piece of trash," and The New York Times announced «Omen »"a terribly stupid film," while praising the pace of the narrative. Variety praised Donner's directing and noted that the script was "too predictable" and "contrived." On Rotten Tomatoes, the horror film has a score of 82% on the Tomatometer and 81% on the Popcornmeter.
Retrospective reviews presented «The Omen» In a more favorable light: the Chicago Film Critics Association ranked it 31st on its list of "scariest movies." Filmsite.org also included this classic film in its list of "The Greatest Movies of 1976.".
The Omen« started a franchise, spawning a sequel «"Damien - Omen II"» (1978), «The Final Conflict» (1981), «Omen IV: Awakening» (1991), «Omen: 666» (2006) and prequel «First Omen» (2024). Horror series «Damien» , based on the films, debuted on A&E in 2016 and lasted one season. The lead role was played by Bradley James .
This article was originally published in Men's Journal on June 6, 2026, in the News section. Add Men's Journal to your list of preferred sources by clicking here.