HALLOWEEN TRIVIA---the hit 1976 Satanic horror movie THE OMEN (Gregory Peck, Lee Remick and David Warner) is known for being perhaps the most cursed movie ever made. During its production, numerous bizarre deaths and accidents occurred. Robert Munger, who came up with the concept for THE OMEN, later warned the movie would be cursed, "If the devil's greatest single weapon is to be invisible and you're going to do something which is going to take away his invisibility to millions of people, he's not going to want that to happen." He added, "...as I'm sure the other fellows have told you, so many bizarre things happened it's almost as if somebody didn't want this picture to be made."
Gregory Peck's son, Jonathan (in the photo, next to his father) shot himself two months before filming began in June, 1975.
Peck's airliner was struck by lightning en route to London for filming. Three days later, writer David Seltzer's airliner to London was also struck by lightning. Later, Peck cancelled an airliner reservation and found out the airliner crashed with no survivors.
Gregory Peck's airliner was struck by lightning while he flew to film THE OMEN.
David Seltzer's airliner was also struck by lightning as he flew to the filming of THE OMEN.
Producer Mace Neufeld's airliner was also struck by lightning. He said it was his,“roughest five minutes” on a plane.
Neufeld was involved in another bizarre THE OMEN-related incident, He was staying at the Hilton in London which was bombed by the IRA, but Neufeld was not in the hotel at the time. He, Harvey Bernhard and others were headed to a London restaurant where they had reservations, when it was bombed by the IRA before they arrived. He added, "The Green Park subway station was blown up as we were walking toward it."
Producer Harvey Bernhard was almost struck by lightning on the film set in Rome. He then carried a cross on the set and said, "The devil was at work, and he didn't want that film made."
Bernhard was involved in another mysterious incident when he and members of the movie crew were on an airliner returning to the US when the airliner had mechanical problems, "We had an emergency landing in Newfoundland, and we were carrying the negatives, and I said... "I just don't think we're gonna get back."' Fortunately, he and the other crew members did arrive safely back in the US.
Special effects artist John Richardson designed the movie's infamous decapitation scene of David Warner. While working on the World War II epic A BRIDGE TOO FAR, Richardson was driving when he had a car crash on August 13, 1976 which was also Friday the 13th. His passenger was his girlfriend and assistant, Liz Moore, who was decapitated in a similar manner to Warner's decapitation scene in THE OMEN. As he was being transported from the accident scene, Richardson woke from the crash and saw a traffic sign which said, "Ommen, 66.6 km".
Animal handler Sidney Bramford, who helped in THE OMEN's "crazy baboon" scene, was killed by a tiger after filming wrapped. Harvey Bernhard said, "He was killed the day after we shot there. He was killed by a tiger. He grabbed him by the head and killed him instantly."
Director Richard Donner said a jet was chartered for THE OMEN, but it at the last minute, it was switched to another client. The jet crashed, killing everyone on board. Donner said the jet took off, hit a flock of birds. "crashed at the end of the runway, went down into the street, hit a car and killed everyone in the car. In the car were the wife and two children of the pilot. True story."
Donner also talked about another deadly incident involving THE OMEN, when they were filming a scene (that was deleted from the movie) at the Windsor Wild Safari Park, "The guard was in...the little booth...guess he left the door open. Two lions came in, attacked him and killed him. THAT day." Another incident involved Donner himself when was getting out his car with Bernhard when he was hit by another car, but fortunately. he wasn't seriously injured. Supposedly, on the first day of filming, several crew members survived a head-on car crash.
Gregory Peck's son, Jonathan (in the photo, next to his father) shot himself two months before filming began in June, 1975.
Peck's airliner was struck by lightning en route to London for filming. Three days later, writer David Seltzer's airliner to London was also struck by lightning. Later, Peck cancelled an airliner reservation and found out the airliner crashed with no survivors.
Gregory Peck's airliner was struck by lightning while he flew to film THE OMEN.
David Seltzer's airliner was also struck by lightning as he flew to the filming of THE OMEN.
Producer Mace Neufeld's airliner was also struck by lightning. He said it was his,“roughest five minutes” on a plane.
Neufeld was involved in another bizarre THE OMEN-related incident, He was staying at the Hilton in London which was bombed by the IRA, but Neufeld was not in the hotel at the time. He, Harvey Bernhard and others were headed to a London restaurant where they had reservations, when it was bombed by the IRA before they arrived. He added, "The Green Park subway station was blown up as we were walking toward it."
Producer Harvey Bernhard was almost struck by lightning on the film set in Rome. He then carried a cross on the set and said, "The devil was at work, and he didn't want that film made."
Bernhard was involved in another mysterious incident when he and members of the movie crew were on an airliner returning to the US when the airliner had mechanical problems, "We had an emergency landing in Newfoundland, and we were carrying the negatives, and I said... "I just don't think we're gonna get back."' Fortunately, he and the other crew members did arrive safely back in the US.
Special effects artist John Richardson designed the movie's infamous decapitation scene of David Warner. While working on the World War II epic A BRIDGE TOO FAR, Richardson was driving when he had a car crash on August 13, 1976 which was also Friday the 13th. His passenger was his girlfriend and assistant, Liz Moore, who was decapitated in a similar manner to Warner's decapitation scene in THE OMEN. As he was being transported from the accident scene, Richardson woke from the crash and saw a traffic sign which said, "Ommen, 66.6 km".
Animal handler Sidney Bramford, who helped in THE OMEN's "crazy baboon" scene, was killed by a tiger after filming wrapped. Harvey Bernhard said, "He was killed the day after we shot there. He was killed by a tiger. He grabbed him by the head and killed him instantly."
Director Richard Donner said a jet was chartered for THE OMEN, but it at the last minute, it was switched to another client. The jet crashed, killing everyone on board. Donner said the jet took off, hit a flock of birds. "crashed at the end of the runway, went down into the street, hit a car and killed everyone in the car. In the car were the wife and two children of the pilot. True story."
Donner also talked about another deadly incident involving THE OMEN, when they were filming a scene (that was deleted from the movie) at the Windsor Wild Safari Park, "The guard was in...the little booth...guess he left the door open. Two lions came in, attacked him and killed him. THAT day." Another incident involved Donner himself when was getting out his car with Bernhard when he was hit by another car, but fortunately. he wasn't seriously injured. Supposedly, on the first day of filming, several crew members survived a head-on car crash.