Fifty years ago, Richard Donner's horror film The Omen was released, terrifying audiences with its story of the Antichrist. However, the film's production was reportedly marked by a string of tragic events that led some involved to believe a supernatural force was at work.
Producer Harvey Bernhard reportedly began carrying a cross at all times, stating, "The devil was at work and he didn’t want that film made." The film, which followed the Thorn family as they unknowingly raised the Antichrist, Damien, is now considered a classic of the genre.
Early Tragedies
Tragedy struck even before filming began. Jonathan, the son of lead actor Gregory Peck, died by suicide two months prior to the start of production. Peck, devastated by the loss, was initially hesitant to take on new projects but was encouraged by his agent to continue with the role, channeling his grief into his character who replaces his own deceased child with Damien.
Soon after, Peck experienced a near-fatal incident when the plane he was traveling on to the London set was struck by lightning. Coincidentally, producer Mace Neufeld and screenwriter David Seltzer faced similar lightning strikes on separate flights while en route to the production.
Production Mishaps
Further unsettling events occurred during filming. A chartered plane intended for the crew crashed after a flock of birds entered its engines, killing everyone on board. The falling aircraft also struck a car, resulting in the deaths of the pilot's wife and children. While filming in Rome, producer Harvey narrowly avoided being struck by lightning on the street, an incident that solidified his belief in the 'curse'.
Incidents also involved the film's animals. Several professionally trained Rottweilers, intended to portray hellhounds, attacked their trainers, leaving stuntman Terry Walsh seriously injured. During filming at Longleat, baboons reportedly attacked the vehicle carrying actors Lee Remick and Harvey Stephens, leaving them 'terrified.' The day after the baboon incident, the zookeeper who had been tending to the animals died after being attacked by a lion in the big cat enclosure.
On the same day as the zookeeper's death, director Richard Donner narrowly escaped an IRA bombing of his hotel. Gregory Peck and producer Mace Neufeld also had reservations at a restaurant that was later bombed by the same group.
Post-Production Echoes
The unsettling events continued even after filming concluded. Special effects designer John Richardson and sculptor Liz Moore were involved in a car crash during post-production. Moore, a passenger in the car, was decapitated, an event that eerily mirrored a scene in the film where a character is decapitated by a runaway truck. Richardson also noted that a road sign near the accident indicated he was 66.6 kilometers from the town of Ommen.
Stuntman Alf Joint reportedly fell from a building during the production of his next film, A Bridge Too Far, and claimed he felt pushed. He missed the safety airbags and was hospitalized.
Despite these apparent misfortunes, The Omen spawned a franchise, with sequels released in 1978, 1981, and 1991. A remake was produced in 2006, and a prequel, The First Omen, was released in 2024.