This is now making me sick... how can you remake a film like that. It was perfect. :| :nono :grr:

You know, we're running out of ways to say, "Look, another horror remake" without repeating ourselves. We've tried being hopeful about it, we've tried cynicism, we've tried bitter worldweariness and a sense of post-Millennium ennui. Short of saying it in a Yoda-stylee ("Mmmmh, another remake horror there is, mmmmhhh") we're about out of ideas (much like Hollywood, ahem!). So let us just say that Flight of the Phoenixdirector and thoroughly nice fella John Moore has signed on to direct The Omen 666, a remake of the 1974 theological horror.

The original film starred Gregory Peck as the American diplomat whose pregnant wife delivers a stillborn child. Without her knowledge, he substitutes it for another newborn baby, who they call Damian and raise as their own. But as their son grows up, strange accidents begin to take place around him, including the hanging of his nanny and the death of a priest who tries to help the family.

Gradually, the diplomat becomes convinced that his son is the Antichrist – the Devil's son who will preside over the Apocalypse. Now, that may be handy for lighting family barbeques (with his evil red eyes!) but it's just no fun when you're trying to get him into the best nursery schools ("I'm sorry, sir, but we're oversubscribed this year and therefore restricting applications to those of non-demonic origin").

Still, even though the original film is really very good, and no one was praying for a remake, we have to confess that we're not totally against this idea. After all, the premise is scary enough for any number of films, and creepy children always give us the willies. What's more, we'd really like to see someone explore the idea that maybe Damien isn't the Antichrist – maybe his father is just being paranoid, something that was suggested to us recently by a horror director, but danged if we can remember who said it.

We're also pleased to see Moore given another bite at the Hollywood cherry – and not just because he's Irish. He delivered a decent picture with Flight of the Phoenix, which unfortunately did very little business. Let's hope that this does better for him.

The script is being updated by newcomer Dan McDermott, and with an October 3 starting date for shooting, we can expect to see this around Halloween next year.