Entertainment

'Damien' Will Bring More Horror To A&E

by Kaitlin Reilly

If you're a total horror junkie, now is a better time than ever to find the scary stuff you crave on TV. The Walking Dead has another zombie-filled spinoff, Bates Motel is getting closer and closer to its creepy conclusion, and MTV will air its second season of the gory teen drama Scream this April. But horror hounds don't have to wait for a taste of a brand new series to keep them up at night. The new A&E show Damien premieres on Monday, March 7, and it could provide your daily dose of scares per week. The series, which stems from the 1976 film The Omen, follows an adult Damien as he puts together the mystery that is his past — and comes to terms with the fact that he is the spawn of the devil. Considering its origins, even the most avid horror fans may be wondering how scary Damien is, so you know what to prepare for before tuning in at 10 p.m.

While we can't know until the show airs just how closely the new series will keep to the tone of the original film, most people would probably say that The Omen made them feel, well, unsettled. The film, about parents who inadvertently adopt the Antichrist, featured many creepy moments, from a nanny committing suicide in Damien's honor to a man being decapitated by a falling sheet of glass. According to showrunner Glen Mazzara's interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Damien will also push the boundaries of horror:

I think Damien is cutting-edge material. It's trying to push the boundaries as far as violence and horror go. There's a lot of really great drama on TV and that was not the case in 1976 when the film came out. So the bar is set so high given other great horror shows that are on TV. We have our work cut out for us; everybody is really interested in pushing the boundaries. I think we've got a few episodes that people are going to be talking about.

It sounds like the new show will not only follow in the footsteps of the original film, but up the ante when it comes to the more disturbing and horrific elements of Damien's story. Reviews of Damien have already hinted at what level of scary to expect. Variety teased that bodies will mount up in "grisly" ways, which we should expect at this point from the network that brought us the often grisly Bates Motel. In other words: prepare for at least a little gore.

If the idea of getting spooked week after week intrigues you, tune into Damien this Monday at 10 p.m. on A&E. But if the idea of getting scared via the small screen makes you want to hide under the covers, well... I'm sure there's a sitcom on somewhere.

Image: A&E