MovieChat Forums > The First Omen (2024) Discussion > Flop: $8m OW with $30m budget

Flop: $8m OW with $30m budget


Competing with Kung Fu Panda 4 for 4th place.
https://deadline.com/2024/04/box-office-monkey-man-first-omen-godzilla-x-kong-1235876709/

First Omen, with a production cost of $30M+, looks like another nun horror movie in a sea of black habits. There’s nothing in the trailer to indicate a connection to the original Richard Donner-directed movie. Would that even matter or make a difference? Even those who are in their early 50s were kids when that movie was on marquees. First Omen gets a C CinemaScore.

reply

Eh that's domestic only. Catholicism influenced horror can and frequently does big business in Latin America and Southern Europe, even in several markets in Asia.

Lets see if the Brazilians, Mexicans, Colombians, Italians & Spaniards turn out for it.

The Pope's Exorcist opened last year at $9 million domestic and managed to gross nearly $77 million worldwide when all was said and done (granted Crowe is a bigger star than anyone in this). 74% of it's gross was international, which is fairly typical for religious themed supernatural horror, they often have a big overseas slant.

I'd never bet against a Catholic horror movie with a decent promotional campaign and international release structure. Immaculate is a similarly themed movie but is released by a minor studio like Neon who are giving it a staggered release, it doesn't open in Mexico or Brazil until the 30th of May! (It'll be interesting to see what that box office ends up at when all is said and done.)

reply

These catholic horrors do resonate a little more if you have a connection with the church, imo as someone who was brought up catholic.

reply

[deleted]

Nicely put.

reply

It didn't get much marketing or hype here. Nothing like exorcist believer even though that was a complete shit show. I kind of wrote it off myself and only went because I'd been hearing good things.

The movie actually is tied in to the original omen from start to finish. They do it in a fairly clever way as well, especially how they handle the born of a jackal prophecy.

Hopefully it does better oversees and streaming because it deserves to do well.

It was refreshing to see a franchise get a new entry that had respect for what went before and added to it in a positive way.

reply

'It was refreshing to see a franchise get a new entry that had respect for what went before and added to it in a positive way.'

That does sound very encouraging.

reply

Released in 30 markets. Dom 8.4m + Intl 9.1m = $17.5m.

reply

Almost nothing was done to promote it.

reply

Wonder why?

reply

It is odd. Especially since horror is usually a profitable genre.

reply

I'm disappointed but not surprised. It was overshadowed by 2 other religious themed horror movies coming out right before it (Immaculate and Late Night With the Devil) for one. Then you have some of the hate for The Exorcist: Believer spilling over. It is still very fresh in peoples' minds so they probably thought "Oh great. Another generic supernatural horror movie trying to make money off a classic." It is just bad timing all the way around.

reply

Hollywood is truly obsessed with demonic possession.

reply

That's because Hollywood is Evil which is why you see Stars fleeing to quieter areas like Florida away from the limelight while raising their kids

reply

Hollywood is indeed evil and for the most part just promote degeneracy with their movies.

reply

Are you a puritan? Supernatural horror is offensive to you?

reply

No idea what you mean by that word. I didn't say supernatural horror was offensive per se. I enjoy many supernatural horror movies.

reply

So what "degeneracy" are you referring to here?

reply

All demons are supernatural. So are gods and the guy who walked on water.

reply

Worldwide total so far is $35,427,194 so it’s made it’s money back.

The last scene was very ‘franchise!’ (Setting up Damien’s good female twin raised by women 🤦🏻‍♂️) so if they don’t make any more that’s a good thing.

Other than that the film was good and deserved better marketing and box office.

reply

First 3 weeks are $46m WW, will reach $50m. 60% international, 40% domestic.
Mexico is the highest foreign market with $4.5m. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr328290821/

reply