The 'Omen' Franchise

When his newborn child dies, Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) agrees at the suggestion of a priest to switch his baby with that of a child whose mother died in childbirth -- without telling his wife, Katherine (Lee Remick). Strange things begin to happen on Damien's fifth birthday, however, when the heretofore un-crazy nanny commits suicide. Katherine senses that something ain't quite right with the boy, but her suspicions don't protect her from being killed by a tag team of Damien and his new, devil-worshiping nanny. After some investigation, Robert eventually realizes that Damien is evil and seeks to kill him with seven holy daggers. As Robert is about to kill the boy, however, he's shot dead by police, who frown upon stabbing children.

Damien (Jonathan Scott-Taylor) is now 13 and lives with his uncle Richard (William Holden), aunt Ann (Lee Grant) and cousin Mark. He's unaware of his destiny, although the trail of dead bodies in his wake should be a hint. Journalist Joan Hart, for instance, tries to warn Richard about Damien but ends up having her eyes plucked out by a crow. Damien is aided by people who know his identity, including Richard's colleague, who prepares Thorn Industries for Damien's takeover, and Damien's commanding officer, who reveals to him his destiny. Richard becomes a believer, but when he searches for the seven daggers, he's killed by Ann, who is secretly a servant of Satan. Damien in turn kills her, leaving him alone to inherit the family fortune.

A grown-up Damien (Sam Neill) is head of Thorn Industries and becomes Ambassador to Great Britain when the previous ambassador decides to blow his head off. Damien worries, however, about a prophecy foretelling the second coming of Jesus, who supposedly will slay "the beast." He forms a plot to kill every child born in England on the date that "the Nazarene" was supposedly born. Meanwhile, a group of monks plots to kill Damien, but they're thwarted at every turn by his Aquaman-like control over animals. Damien dates TV host Kate Reynolds (Lisa Harrow), who's warned by one of the monks, but she doesn't take him seriously -- until she notices a "666" on Damien's head. She helps set a trap for him, and when her son is killed, she stabs Damien.

With Damien dead, the plot in this made-for-TV movie shifts to a young girl named Delia (Asia Vieira), the adoptive daughter of Gene (Michael Woods) and Karen York (Faye Grant). Their nanny senses the girl's negative energy and ends up being tossed through a window -- raising Karen's concern that Delia has issues. Her concern becomes paranoia when Karen becomes pregnant. Karen soon discovers that the girl is Damien's daughter and that Karen's Satanist doctor implanted Delia's twin brother's embryo in Karen, meaning that Karen has given birth to the true Antichrist. Delia tries to shoot Delia and the baby, but the girl takes control of Karen's mind and makes her shoot herself, leaving the woefully inattentive Gene to raise Satan's grandkids.

This straightforward remake celebrated the original movie's 30th anniversary by releasing into theaters on June 6, 2006 (6-6-06), but otherwise it does little inventive or original with the plot. Once again, Robert Thorn (Liev Schrieber) switches babies at birth without telling his wife, Katherine (Julia Stiles), only to discover that the kid is the son of Satan. Any changes to the plot are superficial.