Damien Teaser: How Does the TV Series Connect to the Omen?

A&E revealed the teaser trailer for their upcoming series Damien, which is a follow-up to The Omen.

The show stars Bradley James (Homeland) as Damien Thorn, Barbara Hershey (Once Upon a Time), Omid Abtahi (Better Call Saul) and Meganlyn Echikunwoke (House of Lies).

What Is the Show About?

A&E’s Damien follows the character Damien Thorn, the child we know from the 1976 horror movie The Omen. Apparently, Damien is an adult now, having grown up unaware of the satanic forces that surround him. Damien is forced to come to terms with the fact that he is the Antichrist.

Barbara Hershey stars as Ann Rutledge, a powerful woman — and mentor — who must ensure Damien fulfills his sinister destiny. Omid Abtahi is Amani Golkar, a colleague who eventually realizes how dangerous Damien is. Meganlyn Echikunwoke plays Simone Baptiste, a mysterious woman who is thrown into the mix when tragedy strikes — though we don’t know much else about her.

Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead, and The Shield) is both writer and executive producer of the show. He’s joined by Ross Fineman (Lights Out), and Pancho Mansfield (Queen of the South) who are also executive producers.

Shekhar Kapur will serve as director and executive producer for the first episode. She has been nominated for a Golden Globe and BAFTA Award.

How Is It Connected to the Original Movie?

It’s difficult to discern the tone of the show from this short teaser, but it’s sure to be dark and creepy if the visuals are any indication.

We hear a female voice proclaim, “I imagine you don’t remember much. That will change. It’s so good to see you again, Damien.” I’m assuming it belongs to Ann Rutledge, who will play Damien’s protector and mentor of sorts.

Before the series was picked up by A&E, it was originally supposed to air on Lifetime. Lifetime network’s Executive Vice President and General Manager Rob Sharenow said of Damien:

“Glen Mazzara has re-imagined him as a dark, romantic, anti-hero and this fresh take blends complex characters with premium storytelling to make something truly original.”

Of course, Lifetime is no longer going to play host to the series, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Sharenow was wrong. If he’s right, it seems like Damien will be an interesting character, indeed. We’ll see him as something of an anti-hero onscreen, similar to how Walter White is portrayed in Breaking Bad no doubt. After all, he is the antichrist, there’s no way he’s good natured.

I’m curious to see what will be considered canon for the universe. In the series, was Damien responsible for the death of his parents? I don’t see why he wouldn’t be. What else has he been up to since we last saw him on screen?

Hopefully the show will explore these things, or give us some idea as to what happened.