The First Omen Budget

What is the budget of The First Omen?

"The First Omen," a horror released in 2024, was directed by Arkasha Stevenson and stars Nell Tiger Free, Ralph Ineson. The production budget was $30,000,000, placing it in the mid-budget range for horror productions of its era.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a horror production like this include:

• Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup: Horror productions invest disproportionately in practical effects , prosthetic applications, animatronics, blood and gore effects, and creature suits. A single hero creature suit can cost $50,000 to 200,000.
• Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography: Creating dread through environment is essential. Abandoned locations must be secured and dressed, lighting rigs designed for shadow and tension, and sets built to enable specific camera movements and reveals.
• Sound Design & Score: Horror is arguably the most sound-dependent genre. Foley work, ambient textures, frequency manipulation, and jump-scare stingers require specialized sound designers working with unconventional techniques.
• Production: In April 2016, a prequel to The Omen (1976) was announced to be in the works at 20th Century Fox, with Ben Jacoby writing the script and Antonio Campos in talks to direct.

What were the major cost factors in The First Omen?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The First Omen."

• Practical Effects: Practical Effects, Prosthetics & Makeup is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
• Atmospheric Production Design: Atmospheric Production Design & Cinematography is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.
• Sound Design: Sound Design & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in horror productions of this scale.

How Does The First Omen's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $30,000,000, The First Omen sits in the mid-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• A Hologram for the King (2016): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $9,169,507
• A Lot Like Love (2005): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,886,719
• Big Momma's House (2000): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $173,959,438
• Crazy Rich Asians (2018): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $238,539,198
• Doomsday (2008): Budget $30,000,000, Worldwide Gross $22,472,631

The median budget for wide-release horror films in the 2020s ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

The First Omen Box Office Performance

"The First Omen" earned $20,092,802 domestically and $53,992,802 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $30,000,000, the film showed modest profitability in theatrical release.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "The First Omen," that break-even threshold was roughly $60,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $53,992,802, the film fell short of that threshold but recouped its production costs in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $30,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $53,992,802
• Net Return: $23,992,802
• ROI: approximately 80%

At 80%, "The First Omen" returned its production investment but margin was tight after marketing and distribution costs.

The First Omen Production History

The score was composed by Mark Korven, who wrote original music and referenced themes written by Jerry Goldsmith for the previous films, including "Ave Satani." The soundtrack album was released by Hollywood Records on April 5, 2024, the same day as the film.

Awards and Recognition

5 wins & 20 nominations total

Critical Reception

Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C" on an A+ to F scale. The Guardian Benjamin Lee gave it 3/5 stars, calling it "far more artful and striking than it has any right to be, thanks in overwhelmingly large part to the TV director Arkasha Stevenson, whose bravado works incredibly well until it really doesn't, when she's forced to play by franchise rules rather than her own." Writing for The Times, Ed Potton gave it 3/5 stars.