The First Omen’s producers had to go to the ratings board five times to avoid an NC-17 rating.
Speaking with Fangoria, The First Omen director Arkasha Stevenson detailed the “long battle” the upcoming horror prequel movie had to go through in order to obtain an R-rating rather than be labeled as NC-17.
Referencing one specific scene in the movie that involves “forced birthing and women’s autonomy”, Stevenson said, “The horror in that situation is how dehumanized that woman is. This has been my life for a year and a half, fighting for the shot. It’s the theme of our film. It’s the female body being violated from the inside outwards. If we were going to talk about female body horror, we were going to talk about forced reproduction, and we have to be able to show the female body in a non-sexualized light. I’m very proud of this shot.”
Producers Keith Levine and David Goyer said they went to the ratings board five times to discuss the scene in an attempt to avoid an NC-17 rating.
“Weirdly, avoiding the NC-17 made it more intense,” Levine said.
Goyer added, “The movie, by its nature, deals with female body horror, and I do think there’s a double standard. That was really interesting when we were negotiating with the ratings board. I think there is more permissiveness when dealing with male protagonists, particularly in body horror. That birthing scene is super intense, I also have three kids and have been at their births. It’s intense!”
Stevenson said the shot was ultimately edited down; however, she still believes audiences will feel its impact. “There was a preview where I was sitting with the audience,” she recalled. “The guy in front of me was eating M&Ms the whole time. Then that shot came on, and his mouth opened, and M&Ms just fell out.”
What is The First Omen about?
“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,” the official synopsis reads.
Starring Nell Tiger Free, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy, and Tawfeek Barhom, The First Omen releases in United States theaters on April 5, 2024, from 20th Century Studios.
