For the first time in 18 years, the classic horror franchise The Omen is back on the big screen with director Arkasha Stevenson’s The First Omen, a prequel to the original 1976 classic.

The First Omen is the franchise’s first movie since the lackluster remake back in 2006, which ended its worldwide box office run with $119 million. How will the new movie stack up?

In its debut weekend, The First Omen scared up $8.3 million in the States and another $9.1 million internationally, for a worldwide box office debut of $17,463,000.

For the sake of comparison, that worldwide number almost matches the domestic opening weekend total of The Omen back in 2006, which debuted to $16 million in the United States.

The reported production budget for The First Omen was $30 million – about $5 million more than the 2006 remake – so it needs to make quite a bit more before it’s profitable.

But the story here isn’t about box office but rather quality. Unlike the remake, The First Omen is an exceptional expansion on a classic, earning rave reviews across the board and impressing the hell out of all of us here at Bloody Disgusting. Meagan Navarro wrote in her review, “Thanks to the exquisite craftsmanship on display, beguiling Gothic horror, an impeccable cast, and an emotional journey that packs a wallop, The First Omen stands strong on its own.”

“Arkasha Stevenson doesn’t just helm a prequel worthy of Richard Donner’s classic but establishes herself as a bold new voice in horror,” Meagan’s 4-star review for BD continued.

The First Omen is now playing in theaters nationwide. Don’t miss it.

Nell Tiger Free stars in The First Omen.

In the film, “When a young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, she encounters a darkness that causes her to question her own faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.”