The First Omen star confirms movie’s timeline after confusing sequels

In an exclusive interview with Dexerto, The First Omen star Nell Tiger Free and director Arkasha Stevenson have confirmed the exact timeline of the horror movie following the Omen’s confusing sequels. 

Although the initial four Omen movies are all in chronological order, there are a few continuity errors along the way. Firstly, in Omen III: The Final Conflict, it’s stated that 1984 will be in two years, meaning the film is set in 1982. But Damien (Sam Neill) is 32 years old. 

Which would be all well and good aside from the fact that Damien was born on June 6, 1971, while the first flick mostly takes place five years later, in 1976 — when it was released. Either it’s an error or Damien ages really fast. 

Meanwhile, the 2016 spinoff TV show, simply titled Damien, is set in the present day and ignores the timeline of the original films, and the same goes for the 2006 reboot of The Omen. 

Granted, it’s not quite as confusing as some other horror franchise timelines (we’re looking at you, Saw). But Dexerto took the opportunity to ask The First Omen’s Nell and Arkasha to clarify, with the former explaining that it’s set in the direct runup to the events of the original Omen. 

“It’s set in the 70s, before the original film, and it kind of sets up the story to bring us right to the beginning of the next film,” Nell told us. “So that’s where we exist, in those years before The Omen takes place.”

Adding to this, Arkasha said: “By the end of our film, you very much know exactly where you are and where you’re going, into ‘76. It’s fun to discover that in the viewing process.”

When asked whether The First Omen will answer horror fans’ questions about Damien’s biological parents, Nell replied: “Definitely. When you watch the original Omen, you are left with some questions for sure. 

“There was definitely room for a prequel to be made. There was space to figure out what happened in those moments before and how these people got to this situation. The prequel’s actually hidden in the original film, someone just had to piece it together.”

The First Omen is in cinemas now. You can find the ending explained here, as well as horror movies to get excited about in 2024, and new movies heading to streaming this month.