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2006/06/06

百年震撼世紀凶日 全新泡製凶猛經典

二十世紀霍士有限公司 榮譽呈獻

主演：《叛諜追擊》系列 茱莉亞史黛絲、《驚天核網》里維舒韋伯 、《三更急先鋒》美雅花露
《哈利波特：阿茲卡班的逃犯》大衛杜里斯、《無國界追兇》彼保斯杜韋狄、《哈利波特》系列 米高甘邦
特別介紹：史謬斯戴維費薩柏德烈 音樂：《智能叛變》馬高比卓美 剪接：《玩串婚後事》丹薩馬曼
美術：《蝙蝠俠：俠影之謎》柏德烈林 攝影：尊拿芬斯拉 執行監製：《殺人習作》謝菲史杜
監製：《無痛失戀》格連威廉遜、約翰摩亞 編劇：《凶兆》大衛西薩 導演：《天擊戰線》約翰摩亞

故事大綱

"…他從永恆之海升起，在岸的一旁建立軍隊；他將人類變成弟兄，直至他們滅亡"

不少人相信《聖經》中的《啟示錄》是對未來或部分已經發生的事情作出預言，那些隱藏的記號已發生在我們身邊：恐佈襲擊、反常氣候……災難數之不盡。《啟示錄》的其中一節指出敵基督的來臨，並以數字「666」作為獸的記號。敵基督會直接從撒旦獲得力量，藉此在人間建立一個虛有其表的帝國，宣布世界末日正式來臨。

資深美國外交官羅拔（里維舒韋伯 飾），對《啟示錄》的黑暗預言並沒為意，因令他最憂心的是剛遭遇流產的妻子嘉芙（茱莉亞史黛絲 飾）。為了不想給第三度流產的妻子造成沉重打擊，羅拔聽從醫院神職人員史比多神父的意見，當晚接收一位母親難產而死的孤兒當作妻子的初生兒子戴民，更將夭折一事對她隱瞞。蒙在鼓裡的嘉芙將戴民悉心撫育，羅拔暗自欣慰當晚的果斷決定並無不妥。

晉升為駐英大使的羅拔，舉家遷移到倫敦郊區居住。連串令人不安的怪事在5歲的戴民（史謬斯戴維費薩柏德烈 飾）身邊不斷發生：保姆在他的生日派對上吊頸、身分神秘的神父對羅拔一家作出警告、戴民到動物園參觀惹來大恐慌，他在上教堂途中神經失常、多輯朦朧相片竟預兆了被攝者的死亡。

麻煩事愈來愈多，矛頭直指年幼的戴民。新上任的保姆貝洛太太（美雅花露 飾）像命中註定般守護戴民，而更不幸的事情同時已開始發生在他的家人身上。背後真相終於水落石出：戴民的父母揭發了兒子的真正身分是敵基督。戴民的父母誓要作出最大的犧牲以阻止兒子為禍人間。

預言已明示，徵兆已千真萬確：世界末日即將降臨──2006年6月6日，凶兆現形，人類終極恐懼已無法避免。

《凶兆》（THE OMEN）將二十世紀霍士公司的1976年驚慄經典拍成現代版本，原裝版本由格力哥利柏（Gregory Peck）與李雷米克（Lee Remick）主演，並由李察當納（Richard Donner）執導。《凶兆》是繼《驅魔人》（The Exorcist）與《魔鬼怪嬰》（Rosemary's Baby）後，令觀眾從導演的說故事手法與演員的演技當中感受到震撼與驚嚇，令它成為當年賣座電影之一。

電影解說

對1967年版本《凶兆》瞭如指掌的導演約翰摩亞（John Moore），坦言該片探討魔鬼與人類的關係在現今有著更重大的意義。故此，他很想將經典重新注入新鮮感。約翰摩亞解釋：「人類歷史從來未有過一段時間，像現在般的顯著地提醒人類：魔鬼並不是一個概念或者是一個理論。魔鬼以人的形態，以人類的行為在人間行走，它真正的邪惡從未如此顯而易見。」他續說：「單是在過去4年，全球受到政治、大自然及人為上的襲擊，人類漸漸注意到某些事情正在蘊釀。」

新版本《凶兆》保留編劇David Seltzer 在1976年原作的大部分結構與主題，但故事與角色當中有數個要點是需要作出更新。約翰摩亞說：「原裝版本的故事結構穩固，但新版本的角色會更有現代感。」

在1976年的《凶兆》中，主角羅拔與嘉芙是一對快樂的中年夫婦，丈夫在政界服務多年，有出色的往績。新版本的夫婦角色，在年齡上明顯後生得多。監製Glenn Williamson表示：「我們一致認為，如果主角夫婦較年輕，將會透過性格與職業投射出生活上的優勢：他們是一對受過良好教育的夫婦，願意為工作與婚姻付出一切。因此當他們開始及後來發現兒子的真正身分，實在是一個很大的困惑及打擊。」約翰摩亞補充：「戲中角色被塑造得更有血有肉，將會令觀眾欣賞時更能代入角色，容易相信角色的遭遇亦有可能在他們身上發生。」

在故事的開始，羅拔作了一個純粹表達對妻子的愛的決定，結果導致了災難性的後果。約翰摩亞說：「影片令觀眾想到一些問題：『你會為最愛的人做什麼？』、『你會做什麼去取悅愛人？』出於善心的羅拔，為了不想妻子因為三度流產感到痛傷而擅自領養。不少人也領養，但從這個善意的舉動，魔鬼才有機會闖進人間。對一對夫婦來說，這個經歷是家門不幸；而對全人類來說，羅拔的決定是為魔鬼中門大開。」

選角過程

羅拔 與 嘉芙夫婦

約翰摩亞為《凶兆》的夫婦角色羅拔與嘉芙揀選演員的過程並不複雜。「我在一塊巨型寫字板上寫上角色名字，再將心水演員的頭部照片貼在名字旁。嘉芙名字旁的茱莉亞史黛絲（JULIA STILES）的相片一貼便是幾個星期，從來也只是她一個人的照片。」

觀眾對茱莉亞史黛絲的名字並不陌生，她演過不少荷里活大片如《叛諜追擊2：機密圈套》（ The Bourne Supremacy）、音樂片《舞動激情》（Save the Last Dance）及喜劇《蒙羅麗莎的微笑》（Mona Lisa Smile），今次是她首度主演恐怖片。獲邀請演嘉芙一角令茱莉亞很驚訝，她說：「老實講，我覺得好驚。原因是《凶兆》這部電影太過恐佈。但我知道導演對新版本的故事與角色也有獨特的視野，更能讓我有發揮的機會。」

茱莉亞在片中飾演了唯一的清白角色，因為她並不知道兒子戴民出世時的來龍去脈。應導演要求，茱莉亞的角色嘉芙並不是將原來的版本重演。監製Glenn Williamson表示：「我們不能重演那些角色，特別是嘉芙一角，她在新版本並不如舊版本般複雜。」約翰摩亞深入地解釋：「在社會、個人與政治立場上，母親的地位在過去30多年來已完成不同。在電影中的嘉芙，難以適應年輕主婦的身分。要她居於外地及沒有朋友，令她更感非常不習慣。特別是在兒子的真正身分被揭穿後，對她的性格產生嚴重的衝突。」

嘉芙由快樂的自信少婦變成一個神經質的母親，茱莉亞說：「她感到與戴民很疏離，那是她與丈夫也不能理解的。經過一段不快的日子，她對兒子更感到恐懼。加上沒有人聽她的心事，她變得愈來愈焦慮。最後令她完全崩潰了。」

導演在進行選角時，里維舒韋伯（Liev Schreiber）一直是理想人選之一。最近首次做導演的里維，在拍攝好評如潮的獨立電影《Everything is Illuminated》時接到尊摩亞的試鏡通知。里維支持將《凶兆》重拍，他說：「不少電影也值得重新拍攝，而《凶兆》擁有一些可在所有莎士比亞劇作也可以找的元素：它會在二十、三十年後自行更新，因為它在文化上令無數的人扯上關係。」

導演視《凶兆》為探索魔鬼的題材，可是里維卻認為本片的故事是講述信心。他說：「《凶兆》在不同層面上有不同的意義，但我被它的信心與信仰的元素所吸引，戲中我的角色羅拔更受盡它們的考驗。」

邪惡保姆：貝洛太太

邪惡保姆貝洛太太選由《魔鬼怪嬰》（Rosemary's Baby）女星美雅花露（Mia Farrow）飾演，觀眾絕不會忘記她在上位作《魔》片的演出。

美雅花露版本的貝洛太太一出場時陰聲細氣，善良的個性與經驗十足令她輕易獲得主角夫婦的信任。貝洛太太最後被發現是戴民的貼身守衛，更是從地獄而來的反叛者，願意為化身戴民的敵基督付上性命。

美雅花露對首次演邪惡反派的意念興趣十足，她說：「但我曾經諗過，為何會請我做這個角色。在首集《凶兆》，貝洛太太（由Billie Whitelaw飾演）一開始便惡形惡相，異常的令人吃驚。我被她驚倒也覺得值得。我之後想過如何夠把那種即時性的威脅表達。但導演說過希望我會以全新角色去演繹貝洛太太，因為她的秘密要在故事的後期才會交代。」

巧合地，美雅花露與茱莉亞史黛絲為舞台《Fran's Bed》綵排時接到導演的選角通知。「真的好好笑，我當時正為公演的表現綵排，我在劇中是扮演茱莉亞的母親，但在一星期後我卻變成她的敵人貝洛太太，令茱莉亞拍《凶兆》時相當困難。」

魔童：戴民

魔童戴民一角由新人童星史謬斯戴維費薩柏德烈（Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick）飾演。導演約翰摩亞坦言，首次拍戲的史謬斯憑著過人的優點獲得賞識：「適合演戴民的演員，外形一定要符合我既定的條件，而史謬斯便非常合適，他在試鏡時令我印象深刻。他在盪鞦韆時身旁放置了一隻兇猛的黑色洛威拿犬守護著他，而史謬斯的眼神將我鉤住！那段試鏡更用作首個預告片。」

而導演更創立了一系列詞語作為密碼來與首次演戲的史謬斯溝通，讓他知道何時要演得更肉緊，效果令導演與演員讚不絕口。

攝影師：凱斯傑寧斯

攝影師凱斯傑寧斯由英國影星大衛杜里斯上陣，他在獨立電影《Naked》的演出獲得好評如潮。在本片一開始，職業攝影師凱斯傑寧斯因為在Damien生日派對上捕捉到奇怪圖像而捲入主角羅拔的生活當中。凱斯傑寧斯綜合了手頭上的線索，可怕的真理令他以為自己已變成瘋子，他惟有向羅拔展示相片的證據，成為了其大一位揭示真相的人。

神父：柏南

掌握了關於戴民秘密身分的神父柏南，由英國演員彼保斯杜韋狄飾演，他曾經憑《因父之名》（In the Name of the Fathe）獲提名奧斯卡最佳男配角獎，近作有《無國界追兇》（The Constant Gardener）。當羅拔遇見神父柏南時，竟誤會他是瘋狂的宗教分子，而這些角色間的互相誤解是劇情的特色。

歷史學家 柏根哈金

歷史學家柏根哈金一角由英國影星米高甘邦飾演，他在《哈利波特3：阿茲卡班的逃犯》（Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban）飾演霍格華茲的校長鄧不利多。外表不太正常的柏根哈金向羅拔確定了戴民的身分，促使他進行一個阻止世界末日發生的殘酷計劃。

製作花絮

拍過《天擊戰線》（Behind Enemy Lines）與《鳳凰號》（Flight of the Phoenix）的約翰摩亞，在作品當中呈現獨特的視覺風格見稱，今次拍《凶兆》便運用了光與影來營造氣氛。「在攝影上，《凶兆》是關於光與暗。在每格菲林上，也是光試圖去戰勝黑暗。

在拍攝技巧上，導演運用了最新科技如Libra head去拍攝嘉芙被推下露台的一幕。攝影機被固定在一個支撐與吸收震動的器材上，拍出來的動作場面更流暢，效果似魔鬼驅使她跌落樓般恐怖。

而拍攝這場高潮戲時，導演加入了不了詩意元素，如嘉芙被塑造成一個金髮石膏像的模樣，被淡黃色的衣服包裹著，墮到地上的血紅色地毯上。這個構思來自聖經上的〈Gabriel與墮落天使〉的一章，導演與服裝指導希望令嘉芙在墜樓時看似有一對翅膀。同時，因為這場戲以近距離拍攝，不可以由替身上陣，令茱莉亞必須親自演出。茱莉亞願意拍攝這場具有危險性的場面，最後卻換來一場驚恐。

「在拍攝中途我才猛然醒覺，他們故意安排這場戲是煞科戲，是否因為太過危險呢？幸而動作小組給她看安全裝備，她的恐慌才告一段落。不過，那場戲共拍了三天，綁上安全裝置的茱莉亞全靠兩名特技人員負責吊上吊落，她不時也感受到繩纜在承受重量時的扯力，及擔心扯著繩纜的特技人員忽然抽搐。在最後，拍攝在預期的安全情況下完成。

里維在片中亦親自演出動作場面，包括對付兇猛狗隻的襲擊、在雨中飛車及一手抱著反抗中的戴民，一面與美雅花露飾演的邪惡保姆周旋。觀眾會留意到里維飾演的羅拔在墳場戲流露出真正恐懼，該場戲他與戲中攝影師凱斯傑寧斯被兇悍狗群襲擊。在拍攝那場戲之前數月，工作人員給里維攜來一隻雌性洛威拿犬，里維以為那隻狗是墳場戲的對手，殊不知到了拍攝現場，里維發現他的對手是一隻體型更大，對他不太友善的雄性洛威拿犬。「那場戲原本是要拍攝那隻狗咬著我手臂上的厚墊，但牠竟然死咬不放，牠的力量太大，被鐵欄隔著的我最後被扯到斷了一條肋骨。」里維說。

拍攝邪怪事

美雅花露在接近片末有場在暴風雨下拍攝的戲分，她拿著球賽用的木槌擊碎里維駕駛汽車的擋風玻璃，對於這場戲，她說：「我相信大部分演員也會告訴你知，那些動作場面是很有趣，比遊戲更加好玩。」在羅拔與貝洛太太對戰的場面當中，被美雅捉住腳的里維不小心地踢中了她的臉部，幸好美雅沒有受傷。導演對於被拍下來的鏡頭相當滿意，更準備放在最後版本，但因為技術上的差錯而未能成事，箇中原因永遠也沒有人知道。

在拍攝時有不少未能解釋的怪事發生，其中一件事是視覺效果監督Matt Johnson在處理一幕烏鴉在佈景的場面，他數到的烏鴉剛好是代表魔鬼的666隻，那是他的儀器從來沒有讀取過的數目。另外，攝製隊有晚拍攝一場羅拔與人講電話的場面，其中一個在頭上的燈光突然爆炸，而攝影機當時正在拍攝。碎片跌在燈泡之下的絲質擴散物料上，沒有灑在一班工作人員身上。另外，在去年10月6日拍攝當天，接近一半的演員與工作人員受到一種輕微的食物中毒感染，但奇怪的是食物經過化驗，卻驗不出有任何細菌。

或者最令人心寒的不可思議事件，是劇照師Vince Valitutti在拍到的相片當中，發現了部分由彼保斯杜韋狄飾演的神父柏南身旁有一些模糊圖像，看似是一些活動中的標槍。劇照師與其他工作人員立即將怪事聯想到劇中的攝影師凱斯傑寧斯拍到神父柏南的照片出現了一些模糊的活動影像，而神父卻最後得到可怕的下場。

布拉克取景

除了三個星期廠景，《凶兆》大部分場面也在布拉克拍攝，令影片擁有濃厚的歐洲色彩。影片將捷克多個歷史地點作為取景地點，而Troja Palace的大禮堂更作為梵蒂岡宮的替身，該處教廷宣佈敵基督已經誕生。

其中一場戲在教宗的私人密室內發生，攝製隊移師到布拉克的Strahov Monastery的圖書館拍攝。圖書館在1140年由苦行僧與學者建立，是波希米亞的其中一個優秀建築，館內藏書約有125,000冊。它的天花是一幅由Franz Maulbertsch繒畫的壁畫，作品名稱是人類認識真正歷史的掙扎，出奇地與本片配合。最特別是圖書館已有1200年的歷史，從未批准在電影中出現過。

羅拔的大使館官邸在Lednice古堡拍攝，那座新歌德風格的建築物是捷克其中一個最佳的後浪漫風格示範。在Lednice Park的城堡，所在地是13世紀中期被Liechtenstein家族收購，直至1666年，Liechtenstein的Karl Eusebius建築了一座初巴洛克時期的官邸，以及栽培橘子的溫室和大花園。戴民的生日派對與保姆的自殺場面便是在花園內拍攝。

羅拔與神父柏南見面一幕其實在兩個不同地點取景，但片段竟天衣無縫地配合得來。該場的首部分在布拉克最著名的Charles Bridge拍攝，以沙岩建成的大橋巨柱與拱橋構成一幅美輪美奐的布景。

影片的高潮戲原定於距離布拉格東部45公里的城鎮Kutna Hora一間教堂拍攝，但在開拍前數天，製作人員發現教堂內部搭建了棚架，他們只好匆忙地另覓教堂，結果大隊最後移師到Kladbury鎮一所號稱為捷克最大型的教堂拍戲。至於片中的耶路撒冷則是布拉克的古城Vysehrad，羅拔與攝影師凱斯傑寧斯與考古學家柏根哈金在地下迷宮會面，揭發了戴民的真正身分。

演員介紹

茱莉亞史黛絲JULIA STILES

飾演母親女主角Kathryn Thorn的茱莉亞史黛絲，主演過動作片《叛諜追擊2：機密圈套》（ The Bourne Supremacy）、喜劇《蒙羅麗莎的微笑》（Mona Lisa Smile）、音樂片《舞動激情》（Save the Last Dance）、《The Business of Strangers》以及名導David Mamet的《State & Main》，後者贏得2000年美國影評學會的最佳整體演出獎。茱莉亞去年再演著名編劇David Mamet的新片《Edmond》於去年威尼斯電影節作首映，戲中拍檔有William H. Macy及Mena Suvari等演員。而她與Forest Whitaker合演由Baltasar Kormakur執導的影片《Little Trip to Heaven》於去年多倫多電影節首映。

茱莉亞演過的作品還有改編自《奧賽羅》的《奧賽羅情殺篇》（O），與里維舒韋伯（Liev Schreiber）及伊頓鶴基（Ethan Hawke）合作的《哈姆雷特之後現代叛逆篇》（Hamlet），以及令她奪得芝加哥電影評論大獎的最有前途女演員獎的《Ten Things I Hate About You》。

於紐約劇場界出身的茱莉亞，最近重返發蹟地主演舞台劇《The Vagina Monologues》，而她於2002年夏天亦曾於紐約中央公園舉行的莎士比亞節主演《12夜》。她於倫敦West End的首次舞台演出《Oleanna》，亦是由David Mamet編劇。

里維舒韋伯LIEV SCHREIBER

飾演美國外交官男主角羅拔的里維舒韋伯，近作是《洗腦密令》（The Manchurian Candidate），他飾演梅麗史翠普（Meryl Streep）的議員兒子，被假裝成戰爭英雄及當選美國副總統。里維其他作品有《驚天核網》（The Sum of All Fears）、《隔世俏佳人》（Kate and Leopold）、《哈姆雷特之後現代叛逆篇》（Hamlet）、《奪命狂呼》1-3集（Scream 1 - 3）、《深海圓疑》（Sphere）及《贖金風暴》（Ransom）等。

演而優則導的里維是耶魯大學戲劇系碩士，去年初次執導電影《Everything is Illuminated》。鍾愛舞台劇的他，曾以一年時間在英國皇家戲劇學院鑽研演戲。他於去年憑David Mamet編劇的舞台劇《Glengarry Glen Ross》Ricky Roma一角奪得東尼獎。里維演過不少莎士比亞的劇作，包括《Henry V》、《Hamlet》、《Macbeth》及《The Tempest》等。

里維曾與《異形》女主角薛歌妮韋花（Sigourney Weaver）合演舞台劇《The Mercy Seat》，他在話劇《Betrayal》的女拍檔是茱麗葉庇洛絲（Juliette Binoche）。里維在電視界亦享負盛名，在《RKO 281》劇集飾演Orson Wells的他獲提名艾美獎與格林美獎。另一電視電影《Lackawana Blues》的女對手是金像影后荷爾芭莉（Halle Berry）。

美雅花露MIA FARROW

飾演邪惡保姆貝洛太太的美雅花露，下一部作品是洛比桑的新作《Arthur & The Minimoys》以及《Fast Track》。在開拍《凶兆》前，美雅與茱莉亞史蒂絲於舞台劇《Fran's Bed》合作，美雅的劇場近作則有《The Exonerated》。

美雅的父親是導演John Farrow，母親是Maureen O'Sullivan。受到父母對演戲的興趣影響，美雅於1963年首次踏上台板主演非百老匯製作《The Importance of Being Earnest》，其後主演的流行肥皂式電視劇《Peyton Place》更演足兩年。她於1968年主演波蘭斯基執導的恐怖片《魔鬼怪嬰》（Rosemary's Baby）一鳴驚人，其後成為電視、劇場及電影界的三棲巨星。

美雅於1982年演出活地阿倫的《仲夏夜綺夢》（A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy），此後兩人合拍了超過13部電影！包括：《姊妹情深》（Hannah and Her Sisters）、《歡情太暫》（Crimes and Misdemeanors）、《丈夫，太太與情人》（Husbands and Wives）、《Shadows and Fog》及《Alice》，後者為她帶來美國全國廣播評論會頒發最佳女演員獎。於1997年，美雅出版了《紐約時報》暢銷自傳《What Falls Away》，她最近拍過電影《Purpose》及電視電影《Samantha: An American Girl Holiday》。

史謬斯戴維費薩柏德烈（SEAMUS DAVEY-FITZPATRICK）

飾演魔童戴民的史謬斯為首次拍電影，在之前他曾經拍過Marriott Hotels、Home Depot以及Danimals Vitamins的美國電廣視告。史莫斯的父母為演員，早在滿月已在鏡頭前開展其演藝生涯。

導演介紹

導演／監製：約翰摩亞（JOHN MOORE）

愛爾蘭籍的約翰摩亞以電視新聞節目攝影師出道，更曾為名導演Neil Jordan及Jim Sheridan擔任助理攝影師。尊摩亞本身亦是一名國際級廣告名導，他的作品富創意又善於運用先進的視覺特技，拍過的廣告有Adidas、Guinness及SEGA等。

約翰摩亞在1999年拍了的SEGA廣告在MTV Music Video Awards首播，即獲二十世紀霍士電影及Davis Entertainment賞識，請他執導首部電影《天擊戰線》（Behind Enemy Lines），該部動作片由真赫曼（Gene Hackman）與奧雲韋信（Owen Wilson）合演。《天》片在票房取得成功後，尊接受霍士電影邀請合組Point Road電影公作室，他於2004年執導由丹尼斯奎爾（Dennis Quaid）與祖雲尼域巴斯（Giovanni Ribisi）合演的《鳳凰號》。

2006/06/06
"驚"典重現

"…From the Eternal Sea he rises
Creating armies on either side
Turning man against his brother
'Til man exists no more"

Many believe the prophecy from the Book of Revelation provides a map to a terrifying future…or it presents fragments of history that have come to life in our time. The signs, they claim, are all around us: terrorist attacks, extreme weather… the list goes on.

The passage specifically points to the arrival of the Anti-Christ, who is branded with the numerical sequence "666": the mark of the Beast. The Anti-Christ will receive his power directly from Satan to establish a counterfeit kingdom on earth, signaling the beginning of Armageddon…

Robert Thorn is unaware of such dark prophecies. Thorn, a senior American diplomat, has other things on his mind. His wife, Kathryn, has endured a difficult delivery and she's as yet unaware their newborn child has died. Devastated by the loss, Thorn's concern turns to Kathryn, who had suffered two previous miscarriages. The news will surely devastate her.

The hospital priest, Father Spiletto, presents Thorn with another child born that night, whose mother died in childbirth. The priest compels Thorn to take the infant boy as his own; Kathryn will never know the truth, and their son, which they name Damien, will be raised as their flesh and blood. Kathryn embraces the child as her own, blossoming in motherhood; Thorn, it would seem, has made the right choice.

Thorn's career ascends - he becomes the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain - and the family settles into an estate outside London. But certain events, all seeming to revolve around the now five-year-old Damien, are deeply disturbing: Damien's nanny hangs herself at the youngster's birthday party; a strange priest brings dire warnings to Thorn; a children's trip to the zoo results in a panicked frenzy; Damien becomes hysterical during a drive to church; and blurred movements in a series of photographs portend shocking deaths.

The troubling incidents multiply, pointing to something wrong - terribly wrong - with Damien. Enter Mrs. Baylock, Damien's new nanny, who seems to have a preordained devotion to the child. Then tragedy strikes closer to home. But only later does Thorn comprehend the truth: Damien is no ordinary child; he is the long-prophesized Anti-Christ. Now, Thorn must make the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the unspeakable terror that awaits the world.

The prophecy is clear, the signs unmistakable: Armageddon is upon us.

On 6 / 6 / 06, the omen is revealed...and our darkest fears are realized.

THE OMEN is a contemporary thriller based on the 1976 classic film released by Twentieth Century Fox, starring Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, and directed by Richard Donner. The film, like "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby" before it, galvanized audiences not only through its shocks and scares, but through the filmmakers' storytelling gifts and its top-flight cast. "The Omen" became one of the biggest hits of the year.

Director John Moore counts himself as one of the film's many admirers. He also had come to realize that "The Omen's" exploration of evil is now more relevant than ever, and he was eager to take the reins of a new version of the story.

"There has never been a more salient time to remind people that evil is neither a concept nor a theory," Moore says. "It has a human face and it empowers itself through

human actions. The true nature of evil has never been more apparent.

"In just the past four years alone," Moore continues, "the world has been hit with devastating events - political, natural and man-made. One can't help but notice a certain momentum."

THE OMEN retains much of the structure and themes of David Seltzer's 1976 screenplay, but there are several important changes to update the story and characters. "The original film had a strong foundation," Moore states. "But there were several opportunities to give the characters a more contemporary feel."

In the 1976 "The Omen," Robert and Kathryn Thorn are a comfortable middle-aged couple, with Robert having had a long and distinguished career in government service. In the new film, they're significantly younger. Producer Glenn Williamson notes: "We felt that by making Robert and Kathryn younger, they'd project the image of a couple on the ascendancy of their lives, both personally and professionally. While they're educated and successful, they're also young and working hard to make their career and marriage work. It adds to their confusion and shock when they begin to suspect, and then discover the truth about Damien."

"These are complex people, real people," adds John Moore. "By making the characters more accessible, the audience must consider, 'If a man this strong and relatable can fall, then it could happen to anyone.'"

Early in the story, Robert makes a decision, purely out of love for his wife, which proves to be ruinous. John Moore says: "The film asks the questions: What would you do if you truly loved somebody? What would you do to make them happy? And what Thorn does - protect his wife from the devastation of a child lost at birth - is seemingly benign. People adopt children; it happens all the time. But from this 'innocent' lie and his attempts to do some good, that evil is able to come into his life and into the world. "It's a tragedy on an intimate scale, in how it affects his family," Moore continues. "On a global level, Robert has opened a doorway to evil because he has, without realizing it, shaken hands with the devil."

CASTING

THE OMEN presented Moore, Williamson and their team many creative challenges, as well as a host of logistical hurdles. Casting the lead characters wasn't one of them.

In his search for 'Robert and Kathryn Thorn,' Moore used a surprisingly simple process. "I cast THE OMEN the way I always cast a picture, which is to put all the characters names on a big board and then put up actors' head-shots," says the director. "I stuck Julia Stiles's picture up on the board, and for weeks there was only one picture there. In fact, hers was the only photo on the board for the role of Kathryn Thorn."

Stiles, well known to audiences by her work in hits such as "The Bourne Identity," "Save the Last Dance" and "10 Things I Hate About You," is a newcomer to the horror-thriller genre. She was surprised - and then some - by Moore's offer for her to play Kathryn. "Actually, I was terrified," she recalls. "The idea of THE OMEN really frightened me. But I knew there was something in John's vision for the film and character that I could really sink my teeth into."

Stiles's Kathryn Thorn is the story's lone innocent because she's unaware of the circumstances surrounding the birth of her child. Of all the characters, Kathryn required the most updating from her incarnation in the original film. "We couldn't translate the Kathryn character from the original 'The Omen' because she was not really that layered," says producer Glenn Williamson. Adds John Moore: "Social, personal and political perspectives on motherhood have changed a lot in the past thirty years. In our story, Kathryn struggles with the fact that she's a young woman, a stay-at-home mother, living in a foreign country where she doesn't have many friends. Her personal conflict is agitated as Damien's true nature is revealed."

Kathryn evolves from a happy, confident young woman to a distraught mother full of doubt and suspicion. "Kathryn begins to feel a kind of detachment from Damien, which she and Robert cannot understand," says Stiles. "Over time, she realizes there's some validity to her fear of her son. Adding to her escalating troubles is the feeling that nobody's listening to her. She turns her anxiety inwards. It eats away at her until she eventually breaks down."

Liev Schreiber was also at the top of Moore's casting list. The actor had recently made his directorial debut on the well-received independent film "Everything is Illuminated," when Moore approached him to play Robert Thorn. The actor embraced the idea of doing an update to a popular film. "There's a certain kind of story that stands retelling," says Schreiber. "THE OMEN has an element that's in all of Shakespeare's plays: It finds a way of reinventing itself every twenty or thirty years, because it's culturally tapped into something to which many people can relate."

While Moore sees much of THE OMEN as an exploration of evil, Schreiber approached the film as a story of faith. "The movie can mean many different things on many different levels," he admits. "But I was intrigued by THE OMEN's elements of trust and faith. Those are the two things by which Thorn is challenged."

The casting of Mrs. Baylock, Damien's second nanny, ties THE OMEN to one of the great works of modern horror, "Rosemary's Baby." THE OMEN returns to the screen Mia Farrow, who will forever be remembered by movie fans as the unwitting mother of the devil's spawn in the classic Roman Polanski chiller, in the role that launched her film career.

Farrow's Mrs. Baylock is introduced as a kindly, soft-spoken woman, a career nanny who quickly wins over Kathryn and Robert with her gentle demeanor, impeccable credentials, and professed love for children. To the parents' initial concern and mounting terror, Mrs. Baylock is revealed as Damien's facilitator and protector - an apostate from Hell who will die before she allows harm to come to the Anti-Christ.

Farrow embraced the idea of playing, for the fist time on screen, a truly evil character. "But I thought, why me," she remembers. "In the first 'Omen,' Mrs. Baylock [played by Billie Whitelaw] was from the beginning, very, very scary. I loved being scared by her. I wondered how I could recapture that kind of instant menace. But John Moore said he wanted to take a different approach to the character. 'I'm going to keep the mystery,' John told me. 'Mrs. Baylock has a secret and I'm not going to show her hand until later on in the story.'"

Coincidentally, Farrow was in rehearsals with Julia Stiles for the play "Fran's Bed" when she got the call from Moore. "It was funny," Farrow says, "I was rehearsing a play with Julia Stiles in which I play her devoted mother. Julia and I completed our runs in the play on a Sunday night, and a week later, I'm, as Mrs. Baylock, making things very difficult for her on the set of THE OMEN."

For the role of Jennings, Moore turned to British actor, David Thewlis, who first gained notice for his stunning, raw performance in the indie hit "Naked." At the story's beginning, Jennings, a professional photographer who's looking for the "million-dollar" shot, is on the sidelines. When Damien's nanny hangs herself at his birthday party, Jennings is pulled into Robert Thorn's life. "What Jennings begins to put together is all very unsettling to him," says Williamson. "It's almost like he thinks himself a little mad. But when Jennings meets Thorn and is presented with mounting proof of a growing terror, Jennings becomes the voice of reason."

For Father Brennan, a priest who holds the key to the mysteries surrounding Damien, Moore cast British actor Pete Postlethwaite, a best supporting actor Oscar nominee for "In the Name of the Father," who more recently co-starred in "The Constant Gardener." When Thorn meets Brennan, he mistakes the priest's passion for madness. "False perception is a motif with nearly every character," Williamson says. "If you were in that situation with knowledge of what was really happening, it could drive you crazy. The hard thing is accepting that it's real and then acting on it."

Acclaimed British actor Michael Gambon, whose many film credits include the recent "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (as Dumbledore), plays Bugenhagen. It is this seemingly crazed archeologist who confirms Damien's identity and implores Thorn to commit an unspeakable act to prevent Armageddon.

Damien is played by Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, making his feature film debut. "There's a certain look I was looking for, which Seamus has in spades," relates Moore. Seamus made a strong impression when Moore filmed the young actor's audition, with Seamus as Damien on a swing, a fearsome black Rottweiler keeping guard nearby. "The look on Seamus' face hooked me right then," says Moore. The audition tape was so effective that the studio used it as the film's first "teaser" trailer.

To communicate with the neophyte actor, Moore set up a code of sorts, consisting of a couple of words that effectively signaled the director's intentions. "Seamus knew when to be intense," says Moore. "He knew what it was to concentrate, and he's helped the other actors. The wonderful thing to watch was how much he'd get into it, and how he wanted to help keep the mood. He was a joy and a delight."

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Through his early commercial work and two previous motion pictures, "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Flight of the Phoenix," John Moore is known for his distinct visual style, which is fully realized in THE OMEN. Moore, together with his collaborators, turns even the most innocent event, like a sunny child's birthday party complete with clowns, carousel and puppets, into a nightmarish ordeal. A Sunday morning visit to church leads to an inexplicable burst of hysteria. And a child's ride on a scooter puts his parents on a very dark path.

To help create the mounting thrills, Moore and director of photography Jonathan Sela conduct a careful balance of light and shadow. "THE OMEN, photographically, is about light and dark," Moore explains. "And within every frame there's a struggle for light to win out over darkness."

Moore employed the latest in film technology to convey certain themes and actions. For a key scene where Kathryn is pushed over a balcony, Moore and Sela used a camera mounted with a Libra head, which can sustain and "absorb" movements. The special equipment gave an almost otherworldly "smoothness" to Kathryn's descent. Glenn Williamson explains: "The rig was created so the camera was mounted just over Julia, with the apparatus rappelling as she's falling. It's almost like a demon chasing her down."

Through his filmmaking magic, Moore gives a poetic feel to the horrifying proceedings: The alabaster and blonde Kathryn, swathed in a creamy wrap, falls to the ground surrounded by a fluttering of blood red petals. "I was inspired by the imagery of Gabriel and the fallen angel," Moore explains. "[Costume designer] George Little and I gave Kathryn a shawl, which as she falls, makes it look like she has wings."

With the camera positioned so close to its subject, a stunt double could not be used. So Stiles had to take the plunge…literally. Faced with the formidable stunt, Stiles said, boldly, "Okay, bring it on."

Stiles's initial bravura was soon replaced by reasonable trepidation. "I woke up in a panic in the middle of the shooting, thinking, 'Oh, my God, they scheduled the stunt for my last day of shooting; what are they trying to pull?'" the actress laughs. "Then I panicked." When the stunt coordinators showed her the rigging - and the scene was rescheduled to an earlier date, Stiles's fears were assuaged.

For the stunt, Stiles spent three days in a harness. Toward the end, the actress admits, a little paranoia crept back in. "They had me hanging above the floor for quite a while. There was a safety lock on the rig, and two stunt guys were holding me up for three days. I could feel the tension of the rope, and them straining a little bit. I looked down and thought, 'What if the stunt people get really tired? Or they have a muscle spasm?" As expected, the stunt went off without a hitch.

Schreiber also performed several of his own stunts, fighting off crazed dogs, spinning cars in the rain, and battling with Mia Farrow while carrying in his arms a kicking and screaming Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, emoting as Damien.

Audiences will see real fear in Schreiber's face during a scene set at a cemetery, where Thorn and Jennings are attacked by ferocious dogs. Months before the scene was shot, Schreiber was introduced to a sweet female Rottweiler, which he thought was going to be his sparring partner for the scene. Much to his consternation, Schreiber arrived at the set to find a different dog. "He was male, much larger - and he hated me," Schreiber recalls.

"The idea was to have the dog bite my arm, which would be padded, and see how it looked on camera," Schreiber continues. Unfortunately, the dog continued to pull at the actor's appendage longer than anticipated. The force of the dog's body against Schreiber, who was backed up against iron fencing, not only knocked the wind out of the actor, but also cracked a rib.

Mia Farrow, too, found herself in the thick of the action. For a key scene near the story's end, set late at night in a rainstorm, she had to, rather viciously, take a croquet mallet to the windshield of a car driven by Schreiber. "I think most actors will tell you the physical stuff is fun," says Farrow. "It's more like game playing."

During a Thorn-Baylock fight scene, Schreiber accidentally kicked Farrow in the face as she grabbed his leg. Despite the minor mishap (Farrow wasn't injured), Moore was pleased with the take, which was printed. Unfortunately, we'll never see that take due to a technical glitch, the nature of which was never solved.

This was only one of several mysterious happenings that befell the production. Another unexplained phenomenon occurred when visual effects supervisor Matt Johnson was measuring a special shot with crows in the background - and his meter read…666. Johnson made a careful examination of the measuring device - because he had never before come up with this reading.

One night, during the filming of a scene where Thorn picks up a phone to speak with another character, one of the lights above the set exploded while the camera was rolling. If it weren't for a silk diffusion positioned just under the light, the shattered glass would have fallen onto the camera crew.

On October 6th (there's that number, again), nearly one-half of the cast and crew came down with a mysterious - and fortunately, mild - form of food poisoning. The food was later tested, but no bacteria were found.

Perhaps the spookiest on-set moments came when still photographer Vince Valitutti developed a series of photographs. Valitutti discovered that some images of Pete Postlethwaite as Father Brennan were imprinted with blurred movements streaking downward, like a javelin. Valitutti and the rest of the crew immediately drew parallels to the story, in which Jennings's photographs of Brennan reveal the same blurred movements, which foreshadow a brutal end for the character.

THE OMEN was filmed mostly in Prague. "Our story has a European feel and Prague was perfect for our needs," says executive producer Jeffrey Stott when discussing how production came to decide on shooting in the Czech Republic.

Production had more than three weeks of stage work scheduled, but much of the shooting was completed at practical locations. The film's locales provided a taste of Czech history.

THE OMEN begins deep in the halls of the Vatican, which production staged at Prague's Troja Palace's Grand Hall. The Grand Hall provides an ideal setting for the scene, which announces the birth of the anti-Christ.

The story then moves to the Pope's private chambers, which the production found at the library of the Strahov Monastery. Home to 1200 years of Czech history, the library had never before been used by a major motion picture production. Founded in 1140 by an austere and scholarly religious order, the library is one of the finest in Bohemia, boasting more than 125,000 volumes. Its ceiling fresco depicting the Struggle of Mankind to Know Real History by Franz Maulbertsch, was appropriate to the scene and story.

The company moved to Lednice for a week of shooting interiors and exteriors of the Thorns' private residence. With its neo-Gothic style interiors, the Lednice Chateau is one of the finest examples of High Romanticism in the Czech Republic. Situated at Lednice Park, the land was acquired by the Liechtenstein family in the middle of the 13th century. In 1666 Karl Eusebius of Liechtenstein had an Early Baroque residence constructed as well as an Orangerie and formal gardens. It was in these very gardens that Damien's birthday party and the subsequent suicide of his nanny was staged.

Two different locations worked seamlessly together for a scene where Thorn has a final terse meeting with Father Brennan. The first portion of the scene takes place under the Charles Bridge, Prague's most celebrated structure. The bridge's beautifully aged sandstone blocks and elegant archways helped create a visually dramatic effect for the scene.

The film's climactic scene was to be completed at a location 45 miles east of Prague, at a church in the town of Kutna Hora. However, a few days before shooting was to commence, production designer Patrick Lumb found the site's interior had been covered in scaffolding.

Lumb and his team scurried to find another suitable location. They found it at a private church in the town of Kladbury, situated an hour outside Prague and said to be the largest cathedral in the Czech Republic.

Prague's ancient Vysehrad stood in for Jerusalem, where Thorn and Jennings meet Bugenhagen in an ancient underground labyrinth - and learn the truth about Damien.

ABOUT THE CAST

JULIA STILES (Kathryn Thorn) portrayed Glenna in David Mamet's "Edmond," starring William H. Macy, Dylan Walsh, Joe Mantegna and Mena Suvari, which premiered at the 2005 Venice Film Festival. She starred opposite Forest Whitaker in Baltasar Kormakur's "Little Trip to Heaven," which premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival.

Last year also saw Stiles reprise her role as Nicky in Paul Greengrass' "The Bourne Supremacy," the sequel to "The Bourne Identity." Other film credits include "Mona Lisa Smile," "The Business of Strangers," "Save the Last Dance" and David Mamet's "State & Main." The latter won the 2000 National Board of Review Award for Best Ensemble Cast.

Stiles's Shakespeare-inspired film credits include Tim Blake Nelson's "O," a contemporary adaptation of "Othello;" Michael Almereyda's "Hamlet," opposite Liev Schreiber and Ethan Hawke; and "Ten Things I Hate About You," for which she won the Chicago Film Critics Award for Most Promising Actress.

Stiles began her career on the New York stage, appearing in a number of plays at the L.A. Mama Theater and the Kitchen Theater, including "Everyday Newt Burman," "Matthew School of Life," and "The Sandalwood Box." More recently, Stiles shared the New York stage with Gloria Reuben and Mary Testa in Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues." In the summer of 2002, Stiles appeared as Viola in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Twelfth Night" in Central Park.

Stiles made her West End debut opposite Aaron Eckhart in a revival of David Mamet's "Oleanna," which opened to rave reviews at The Garrick Theatre.

LIEV SCHREIBER (Robert Thorn) won the 2005 Tony Award for his portrayal of Ricky Roma in the Broadway revival of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross." With "Everything is Illuminated," Schreiber made his directorial debut of a screenplay he adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer's bestselling novel.

Schreiber starred in Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate," playing Raymond Shaw, the son of the powerful Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Meryl Streep), and a decorated Gulf War hero who becomes a candidate for vice president of the United States.

Schreiber's other credits include "The Sum of All Fears," "Kate and Leopold," "Hamlet," "The Hurricane," "A Walk on the Moon," "Twilight," "Sphere," "Scream," "Scream II," "Scream III," "Mixed Nuts," and "Ransom."

Schreiber is also known for his work in such acclaimed independent features as 'The Daytrippers," "Big Night," "Party Girl," "Walking and Talking," "Mad Love," "Denise Calls Up" and "Spring Forward," for which he also served as a producer.

Although initially interested in playwriting, Schreiber spent a year studying acting with the faculty from England's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. In 1992, he graduated with an MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Schreiber's stage credits include a critically acclaimed turn as Henry V in a Shakespeare in the Park production at the Delacorte Theatre; "The Mercy Seat," opposite Sigourney Weaver and directed by Neil Labute; Harold Pinter's "Betrayal," co-starring Juliette Binoche; and "Moonlight" with Blythe Danner and Jason Robards.

Schreiber's enduring relationship with the Public Theatre's New York Shakespeare Festival has produced several critically acclaimed performances including the title role in "Hamlet," Iago in "Othello," Macbeth," "The Tempest," and "Cymbeline," for which he won an Obie award.

For television, Schreiber starred as Orson Wells in "RKO 281" (receiving Emmy and Golden Globe nominations) and in "Lackawana Blues" with Halle Berry, Jeffrey Wright and Rosie Perez.

MIA FARROW (Mrs. Baylock) stars in Luc Besson's upcoming film "Arthur & The Minimoys," and in the upcoming "Fast Track," with Jason Bateman and Zach Braff.

Just before production began on THE OMEN, Farrow played opposite Julia Stiles in the Playwrights Horizons Main Stage production of "Fran's Bed," written and directed by James Lapine. Other recent stage work includes Jessica Blake and Eric Jenson's "The Exonerated."

The daughter of director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan, Farrow made her stage debut in 1963 in an off-Broadway production of "The Importance of Being Earnest." Farrow enjoyed a two-year stint on the popular soap opera "Peyton Place." Her work on the series caught the attention of audiences around the world. Farrow received glowing reviews for her work in Roman Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby," in which she starred with John Cassavetes.

Farrow followed this success with appearances on television, in the theatre and in the films "The Great Gatsby" and "Death on the Nile," among others.

With 1982's "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy," Farrow became Woody Allen's muse and the two went on to make more than 13 films together. Their collaborations include "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Husbands and Wives," "Shadows and Fog," and "Alice"; for the latter, Farrow was honored with an NBR Award for Best Actress.

In 1997, Farrow published her New York Times best-selling memoir, What Falls Away.

More recently, Farrow appeared in the film "Purpose," and on television in "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday."

DAVID THEWLIS (Jennings) first won critical and public acclaim for his powerful performance in Mike Leigh's "Naked." He recently starred as Professor Lupin in Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," and was seen in Ridley's Scott epic drama "Kingdom of Heaven." Thewlis recently starred in Terrence Malick's "The New World," and Michael Caton-Jones' "Basic Instinct 2."

His other credits include "Goodbye Charlie Bright," "Gangster No. 1," "Whatever Happened to Harold Smith?," "Besieged," "The Big Lebowski," "Divorcing Jack," "Seven Years in Tibet" and "The Island of Dr Moreau." Thewlis also wrote, directed and starred in "Cheeky," which screened at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival.

Other film credits include "Total Eclipse," "Dragonheart," "Restoration," "Black Beauty," "The Trial," "Resurrected," "Vroom," and the Mike Leigh films, "Short and Curlies" and "Life is Sweet."

Thewlis's many television credits include "Dinotopia," "Endgame," "Dandelion Dead," "Prime Suspect III," "Frank Stubbs," "Journey to Knock," "Filipino Dreamgirls," "Skulduggery," "A Bit of a Do," "Road" and "The Singing Detective."

Thewlis starred in Sam Mendes's "The Sea" at the Royal National Theatre, Max Stafford-Clark's "Ice Cream" at the Royal Court, "Buddy Holly" at the Regal in Greenwich, "Ruffian on the Stairs/The Woolley" at Farnham and Lady, and "The Clarinet" at the Kings Head.

PETE POSTLETHWAITE (Father Brennan) co-starred in "Aeon Flux" and in the critically acclaimed "The Constant Gardner." He appears in director Robert De Niro's upcoming "The Good Shepherd" starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie.

In a career that has spanned television, theatre and motion pictures, Postlethwaite was nominated for a BAFTA Award in the Best Actor category for his work in the television productions "The Sins," "Lost for Words" and "Martin Chuzzlewit." In 2001, he was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Guiseppe Conlon in Jim Sheridan's "In the Name of the Father." Postlethwaite and his cast mates from "The Usual Suspects" share an award from the National Board of Review in the Best Acting by an Ensemble category.

Postlethwaite has worked with some of the most innovative and revered directors of our time including Lassee Halstrom for "The Shipping News;" Baz Luhrmann in "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet," Steven Spielberg in "Amistad" and "The Lost World: Jurassic Park 2," Michael Mann in "The Last of the Mohicans," David Fincher in "Alien3," Franco Zefferelli in "Hamlet," and Bryan Singer in "The Usual Suspects."

His work in theatre includes the Royal Shakespeare Company production of "Every Man & His Humour," plus "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Richard III," "Henry V," "Cyrano de Bergerac," "King Lear," "Macbeth," and "The Taming of the Shrew." At the Old Vic, Postlethwaite played Ulysses in "Troilus & Cressida" and Kit in "The Recruiting Officer."

MICHAEL GAMBON (Bugenhagen) co-starred in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" reprising the role of Albus Dumbledore from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Gambon appears in director Robert De Niro's upcoming film"The Good Shepherd," starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie; and "Amazing Grace," directed by Michael Apted.

The British actor's career has spanned theatre, television and motion pictures over 40 years, and has garnered numerous awards including four BAFTA-TV awards in the Best Actor category; an Emmy nomination for his work in John Frankenheimer's mini-series "Path to War;" and a SAG award in the Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture category for his work in Robert Altman's "Gosford Park."

Gambon began his career with the Edwards / MacLiammoir Gate Theatre, in Dublin. In 1963, he was one of the original members of the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic under Laurence Olivier. He then joined Birmingham Rep, where he played "Othello." Also in repertory, he played the title roles in "Macbeth," "Coriolanus," and "Othello," this time at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.

In the West End, Gambon played leads in Simon Gray's "Otherwise Engaged," the London premieres of three plays by Alan Ayckbourn ("The Norman Conquests," "Just Between Ourselves" and "Man of the Moment"), "Alice's Boys" (with Ralph Richardson), Harold Pinter's "Old Times," the title role in "Uncle Vanya," and "Veterans Day" with Jack Lemmon.

With the Royal National Theatre, Gambon played leading roles in the premieres of Harold Pinter's "Betrayal" and "Mountain Language," Simon Gray's "Close of Play," Christopher Hampton's "Tales from Hollywood," three more plays by Alan Ayckbourn ("Sisterly Feelings," "A Chorus of Disapproval," for which he won an Olivier Award, and "A Small Family Business"), and Hare's "Skylight," which moved on to the West End and Broadway. Also at the National, Gambon did "Endgame" with Lee Evans, and played Falstaff in "Henry IV" parts I and II.

More recently, Gambon played the lead in Nicholas Hytner's production of "Cressida" at the Almeida, in Patrick Marber's production of "Caretaker" in the West End, and in Stephen Daldry's "A Number" at The Royal Court.

Gambon's television work includes the title role in Dennis Potter's series "The Singing Detective," which earned Gambon a Best Actor nod from BAFTA; the BBC's "Wives and Daughters," which gave him another BAFTA in the Best Actor category; and Mike Nichols's critically acclaimed "Angels in America."

In motion pictures, Gambon's credits include Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover," "The Gambler," "Dancing At Lughnasa," "Plunket And McLeane," "The Last September," "Sleepy Hollow," "The Insider," "Open Range," "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" and "Sylvia."

SEAMUS DAVEY-FITZPATRICK (Damien) makes his feature film debut in THE OMEN. Davey-Fitzpatrick has acted in national commercials for Marriott Hotels, Home Depot and Danimals Vitamins. The son of two performers, Seamus started his career in front of the camera at the tender age of one month.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

JOHN MOORE (Director, Producer), was born, reared and educated in Ireland. He started his career as a news cameraman, and then worked as an assistant cameraman in feature films helmed by the acclaimed filmmakers Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan.

When Moore turned to directing commercials, his innovative work, rich with state-of-the-art special effects, earned him worldwide recognition. His work included notable spots for Adidas, Guinness and SEGA. Shortly after his 1999 spot for SEGA debuted on the MTV Music Video Awards, Twentieth Century Fox and Davis Entertainment gave Moore the assignment to make his feature directorial debut on "Behind Enemy Lines," an action-adventure starring Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson.

Following the success of "Behind Enemy Lines," Moore accepted a studio production/development deal with Fox and started a production company, Point Road. In 2004 he directed "Flight of the Phoenix," starring Dennis Quaid and Giovanni Ribisi.

DAVID SELTZER (Screenwriter) wrote the original "The Omen," which Twentieth Century Fox released in 1976. The film was directed by Richard Donner and starred Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.

Seltzer made his directorial debut on "Lucas," which he also scripted. He wrote and directed "Punchline," starring Tom Hanks and Sally Field, and "Shining Through," starring Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith. His writing/screenplay credits also include "The Hellstrom Chronicles," "The Other Side of the Mountain," "Prophecy," "Six Weeks," "Table for Five," "Bird on a Wire" and "Dragonfly."

GLENN WILLIAMSON (Producer) recently produced "Hollywoodland," starring Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane and Bob Hoskins, for director Allen Coulter. It will be released in the fall by Focus Features. Previously, Williamson executive produced the Academy Award-winning (Best Original Screenplay, Charlie Kaufman) "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

Williamson was president of production at Focus Features, where he supervised Todd Haynes' "Far from Heaven," starring Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid; Christine Jeffs' "Sylvia," starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig; and Mira Nair's "Vanity Fair," starring Reese Witherspoon.

Before that, Williamson was president of production at USA Films. His stint at USA followed seven years as a senior production executive at DreamWorks, which he had joined at its inception in 1994. While at DreamWorks, he brought to the company Alan Ball's spec script "American Beauty," and Williamson oversaw the making of Sam Mendes' feature film directorial debut which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Williamson was also instrumental in bringing Cameron Crowe and "Almost Famous" to the studio; the film earned Crowe an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Other films Williamson supervised at DreamWorks include Sam Mendes' "Road to Perdition"; Gore Verbinski's "The Mexican"; Bronwen Hughes' "Forces of Nature," which was based on Williamson's original story idea; and Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me if You Can."

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Williamson began his career in motion picture development with former DreamWorks co-heads Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, when they were producers at Sony-based Aerial Pictures. Williamson continued his relationship with the team when they joined Amblin Entertainment, where he was the executive on Barry Sonnenfeld's "Men in Black."

JEFFREY STOTT (Executive Producer) co-produced "Fat Albert," for Twentieth Century Fox; and executive produced "Alex and Emma," directed by Rob Reiner.

Stott had an auspicious start in motion pictures as the associate producer of Reiner's "The Sure Thing." The film went on to capture the hearts of critics and audiences alike and was followed-up with the equally successful film "The Princess Bride," on which Stott was associate producer.

Stott's long association with Reiner and Castle Rock Entertainment continued through 2003. During his tenure there as executive vice president of production management, Stott oversaw the production of over 60 films and served as executive producer of "The American President," "The Ghosts of Mississippi," and "The Story of Us."

Credits as co-producer include the classics "When Harry Met Sally," "Misery," for which Kathy Bates won an Academy Award for Best Actress, and "A Few Good Men," which garnered Jack Nicholson an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Additional credits include "Murder By Numbers," "This is Spinal Tap" and "Stand By Me." Stott also served as executive in charge of production on the hit TV series "Seinfeld."

Stott has an M.A. degree in history from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in history from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

JONATHAN SELA (Director of Photography) has worked in film, commercials and music videos. His film credits include "Soul Plane," "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School," "Butterfly, a Grimm Love Story" and "Randy and the Mob." Sela shot additional photography for "The Little Black Book" and "The Girl Next Door." Other credits include the short films "Seascape," "The Newman Shower," and "Dysenchanted," which was an official selection at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

Sela's extensive music video work includes Sheryl Crow's "The First Cut is the Deepest," Britney Spears' "My Prerogative," Jennifer Lopez's "Get Right," Prince's "A Million Days," Destiny's Child's "Cater 2 U," Lindsay Lohan's "Rumors," Staind's "Price to Pay," Enrique Iglesias's "Not in Love," Metallica's "The Unnamed Feeling," Green Day's "Waiting," Counting Crows' "American Girl," Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know," and 50 Cent's "Many Men."

Sela has worked on commercials for Reebok, Coca-Cola, Six Flags Magic Mountain, Nintendo, Burger King, Bacardi, Playstation, McDonald's, Hanes, and Fox Sports. Sela was also named in the 2004 Craft Series of The Hollywood Reporter's "Next Generation."

PATRICK LUMB (Production Designer) continues his association with John Moore after working as supervising art director on the director's two previous features: "Behind Enemy Lines" and "Flight of the Phoenix."

Lumb was a production designer and art director on more than 30 commercials, music videos and feature films. He was art director on "Batman Begins," and supervising art director on "Veronica Guerin," and "To End All Wars."

His commercial work includes Ford, Foster Farms, Burger King, Sony Playstation, Pepsi, Coca Cola, UPS, GMC, and Chase Manhattan Bank. Lumb designed music videos for Ricky Martin ("Bon Bon"), TLC ("Unpretty"), Methods of Mayhem ("Get Naked"), and Will Smith ("Wild Wild West").

DAN ZIMMERMAN (Editor) was visual effects editor on "Fun with Dick and Jane" and John Moore's "Flight of the Phoenix." Zimmerman was assistant editor to his father, Don Zimmerman on films "Cat in the Hat," "Just Married," "Galaxy Quest," "Patch Adams" and "Liar, Liar."

Born in Italy, MARCO BELTRAMI (Music) began his pursuit of music composition studying in Venice with Italian master Luigi Nono before entering the Yale School of Music on a scholarship. Among his most important influences, he counts acclaimed composers Ennio Morricone and Jerry Goldsmith.

In 1992, Beltrami moved to Los Angeles to undertake a fellowship with Jerry Goldsmith. While learning the technical aspects of film scoring, he also completed orchestral compositions for the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Sao Paulo State Orchestra and the Oakland East Bay Symphony. Since then, Beltrami has tried to balance concert pieces with a film scoring career.

Beginning with a Sony-funded short, The Bicyclist, in 1994, Beltrami has worked consistently on film and television scoring projects, including the features "I, Robot," "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," "The Faculty," all three of the "Scream' films, "Blade 2: Bloodhunt," "The Watcher," "The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys," "XXX 2: The Next Level," "Red Eye," "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," and "Underworld: Evolution."

Beltrami's work has earned awards from the American Academy of Arts.

GEORGE L. LITTLE (Costume Designer) marks his third collaboration with John Moore, having previously designed for "Flight of the Phoenix" and "Behind Enemy Lines." Other credits as costume designer include "Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her" and "Crimson Tide."

His credits as assistant costume designer include "Galaxy Quest," "The Peacemaker" "Striptease" and as costume supervisor, "The Pelican Brief," "Toys" and Bugsy."

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