“Damien,” the “Omen” reboot from former “The Walking Dead” showrunner Mazzara, has shifted from Lifetime to its sister network A&E. The series has also received an additional order for four more episodes, which brings the total episode order up to 10.
The series will pick up with Damien Thorn, the mysterious child of the 1976 film “The Omen,” who’s now an adult, and has grown up seemingly unaware of the satanic forces around him. Haunted by his past, Damien must now come to terms with his true destiny — that he is the Antichrist.
If the retooling of a creepy classic seems reminiscent of another A&E drama, you’re not alone — A&E and Lifetime executive vice president and general manager Rob Sharenow cited A&E’s “Psycho”-inspired “Bates Motel” while announcing the network shift.
“A&E’s unwavering commitment to high quality original scripted drama programming, coupled with the sizable fan-base for our hit series ‘Bates Motel,’ which so perfectly aligns with ‘Damien,’ make the network the ideal fit for this exceptional show,” Sharenow said. “We are thrilled with what we’ve seen so far and know that Glen and the creative team have even more story to tell in Season 1.”
“Merlin” and “Homeland” veteran Bradley James will play the title character. The cast also includes Barbara Hershey (“Once Upon a Time”), Omid Abtahi (“Better Call Saul”) and Megalyn Echikunwoke (“House of Lies”).
The hour-long drama is currently in production in Toronto.
'American Horror Story' to 'True Detective': 8 Anthology Series That Are Changing TV (Photos)
"American Horror Story: Murder House": The freshman installment of Ryan Murphy's FX anthology series introduced a new method of TV storytelling in 2011 -- and scared the bejesus out of viewers in the process.
"Fargo": FX once again went the anthology route with this adaptation of the beloved Coen Brothers film, which boasted an enviable cast and racked up an impressive pile of Emmy nominations (along with one win).
"American Horror Story: Asylum": For the second iteration of "AHS," Murphy went crazy -- literally -- and explored the twisted behind-the-scenes events at an insane asylum.
HBO got into the anthology game with "True Detective," which starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in its maiden season and became one of the most buzzed-about series of the year.
"American Horror Story: Coven" took Murphy's ever-shifting vision to New Orleans for a tale of supernatural rivalry, and a multi-layered exploration of oppression.
"The Girlfriend Experience": Starz is currently developing a small-screen adaptation of the 2009 Steven Soderbergh film. Soderbergh is also behind the television version, which will feature a different story and different characters each season.
Starz is also considering an extension of "The White Queen," its 2013 partnership with the BBC, dubbed "The White Princess."
Murphy returns Wednesday night with a fourth iteration of "American Horror Story," subtitled "Freak Show," in which Sarah Paulson pulls a double-header.
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Shows that are breaking ground by tearing down and rebuilding from season to season
"American Horror Story: Murder House": The freshman installment of Ryan Murphy's FX anthology series introduced a new method of TV storytelling in 2011 -- and scared the bejesus out of viewers in the process.
