'The First Omen': All About the Prequel to the 1976 Horror Classic (Exclusive)

Ahead of its April 5 release, the cast and creatives behind The First Omen are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the devilish fun they have in store for the prequel film. 

In exclusive interviews shared with ET, writer-director Arkasha Stevenson and the movie's stars open up about what fans can expect from the film, which serves as an origin story to 1976's The Omen. The cult classic movie centers on a little boy named Damien who, after being adopted, causes his new family to worry that he may be the antichrist as people around him start mysteriously dying. 

"The First Omen is a prequel to the 1976 film and focuses on a young woman named Margaret," Stevenson explains in the clip.

"She is a young nun hopeful with a love of love in her heart," adds Nell Tiger Free, who plays Margaret. 

"She is working the orphanage and identifies a very troubled child," shares Bill Nighy, who stars as Cardinal Lawrence. 

According to the film's description, Margaret, an American, is sent to Rome to work for the church as a nun only to quickly find herself in a precarious and terrifying situation that involves attempting to stop the birth of evil incarnate. 

"She's trying to figure out what's real and who are the people behind this omen," says Free. "There's a storm of energy, a force of darkness."

While The First Omen acts as a standalone film, it also tees up the original movie via the use of Father Brennan, a character from the original film. 

"It's really important to set the stage for how and why you see what happens in the 1976 version," the film's director says. 

Watch the trailer for The First Omen in the player below:

The film also stars Tawfeek Barhom, Sonia Braga and Ralph Ineson.

The First Omen releases in theaters nationwide on April 5. 

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