Why the sequel to a horror classic became a battleground for its own directors
In short: The production of the 1978 horror sequel Damien: Omen II was as chaotic as the film's supernatural plot. After original director Mike Hodges was replaced four weeks into filming, the project became a clash of working styles, budget disputes, and even allegations of a producer brandishing a firearm on set.
When 20th Century Fox greenlit the sequel to the 1976 hit The Omen, the production faced immediate friction. Mike Hodges, initially hired to direct, was removed after four weeks. While the studio cited slow progress and artistic differences, Hodges later claimed the producer, Harvey Bernhard, had threatened him with a gun during a budget argument. Bernhard, conversely, pointed to Hodges' meticulous, time-consuming approach—such as spending half a day setting up a single shot—as the reason for the change.
Don Taylor was brought in to finish the film, tasked with bringing the production in on time and under budget. Taylor reshot several sequences, though he retained some of Hodges' work, including the opening in Israel and scenes at the military academy. Taylor also introduced the film's final twist: the revelation that Damien's guardian, Ann Thorn, was a secret disciple of the Antichrist. Despite these efforts, the film received mixed reviews, with critics noting that while it offered gruesome, graphic deaths, it lacked the narrative sophistication of the original.
The film's technical production was equally fraught. Composer Jerry Goldsmith returned to score the film, but because of a short-lived union rule that would have doubled the cost of releasing the soundtrack, the album was re-recorded in Britain rather than the US. This led to a strange legacy: some original film tapes were lost or warped, and the album version featured slightly different arrangements. Today, the film remains a curious artifact of 1970s studio filmmaking, defined as much by its behind-the-scenes drama as by its onscreen body count.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Damien – Omen II
- Also: Damien: Omen II
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