The Omen Prequel Adds Servant Star Nell Tiger Free

Actor Nell Tiger Free has made a major impression on horror audiences with her work on the Apple TV+ series Servant, with Deadline reporting that she has joined the upcoming The Omen prequel First Omen. Details about Free's role are being kept under wraps, as are details about the plot of the film itself, so it's entirely unknown what her involvement will be in the endeavor. First Omen will be helmed by Legion and Briarpatch episodic director Arkasha Stevenson, who will be making her feature-film directing debut. Stevenson will be collaborating with writing partner Tim Smith to rewrite the current version of the script. Stay tuned for details on the development of First Omen.

The original The Omen focuses on a young boy who seems to be the center of supernatural activity and, while investigating the bizarre occurrences, the father ends up believing that the boy is actually the Antichrist, which is largely confirmed in the two follow-up films. The last entry in the series was the 2006 reboot of the concept.

Given that the debut film opens in the wake of a woman dying after giving birth to Damien, the supposed son of the Devil, we wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming prequel explores the events that led to the woman's death. In that regard, we also could assume Free might be playing the woman, yet this is nothing but conjecture.

In addition to working on Legion, Stevenson also collaborated with filmmaker Nick Antosca on the TV shows Channel Zero: Butcher's Block and Brand New Cherry Flavor.

While the last film based on the concept was a reboot in 2006, the last attempt to continue the project in a live-action capacity was the TV series Damien back in 2016. The series focused on the adult Damien after he had supposedly forgotten about his Satanic origins, with that series only lasting a single season. 

In Servant, Free appears as a nanny who comes to take care of a baby doll, which is meant to represent a couple's child who had died. As if this notion wasn't absurd enough, the "servant' and her bizarre religious devotions kick off a deranged and disturbing journey for the whole family. Servant is set to conclude with the upcoming Season 4.

Stay tuned for details on First Omen.

Are you looking forward to the prequel? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!