The First Omen has a hard R-rating that would’ve been NC-17 if one particular scene wasn’t heavily pared down.
Serving as a prequel to the classic horror filmThe Omen, The First Omen features a rather graphic birthing scene. The filmmakers spoke about the controversial scene in a new interview with Fangoria, revealing how the original cut would have gotten the movie an NC-17 rating if left unedited. That meant making several edits to the scene in question until the ratings board was happy, though producer David Goyer felt like it was a “double standard,” arguing that such heavy edits aren’t required when dealing with male characters.
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“The movie, by its nature, deals with female body horror, and I do think there’s a double standard,” Goyer said. “That was really interesting when we were negotiating with the ratings board. I think there is more permissiveness when dealing with male protagonists, particularly in body horror. That birthing scene is super intense, I also have three kids and have been at their births. It’s intense!”
Fellow producer Keith Levine also said of the edits, “We had to go back and forth with the ratings board five times. Weirdly, avoiding the NC-17 made it more intense.”
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Director Arkasha Stevenson Fought to Keep the Scene
Arkasha Stevenson makes her feature directorial debut with The First Omen. She also spoke about the “long battle” to get an R-rating, sharing how “proud” she is of the scene, despite its controversy. Stevenson also noted how she’s satisfied with how it ultimately turned out, even with the edits, based on one filmgoer’s reaction she observed at an early screening.
“The horror in that situation is how dehumanized that woman is,” the director explained. “This has been my life for a year and a half, fighting for the shot. It’s the theme of our film. It’s the female body being violated from the inside outwards. If we were going to talk about female body horror, we were going to talk about forced reproduction, and we have to be able to show the female body in a non-sexualized light. I’m very proud of this shot.”
Stevenson continued, “There was a preview where I was sitting with the audience. The guy in front of me was eating M&Ms the whole time. Then that shot came on, and his mouth opened, and M&Ms just fell out.”
The First Omenpremieres in movie theaters on April 5, 2024.
Source: Fangoria
The First Omen
A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
- Director
- Arkasha Stevenson
- Release Date
- April 5, 2024
- Cast
- Ralph Ineson , Bill Nighy , Nell Tiger Free , sonia braga
- Writers
- Tim Smith , Arkasha Stevenson , Keith Thomas , Ben Jacoby , David Seltzer
