American ambassador Robert Thorn and his lovingly dedicated wife are expecting a child. But when the infant is stillborn a mysterious Italian priest convinces the diplomat to clandestinely adopt another of the hospital's newborn children. Thorn takes the priest's advice without telling his wife about their loss. After five short happy years together, things start to go wrong: the family's au pair commits suicide, Father Brennan warns Robert about the child's strange nature, and an archaeologist tries to convince ambassador Thorn that the boy is the anti-Christ incarnate.

A staid American ambassador and his wife are heartbroken when their child is stillborn, but their heartbreakÆs only beginning when they elect to adopt a baby orphaned when its mother died during childbirth. As the boy grows, disaster surrounds him, beginning with the suicide of his nanny, and as the bodies pile up, his horrified father begins to believe that the boy is evil incarnate and must be destroyed. The unique climax paved the way for the two popular sequels, "Damien - Omen II" and "Final Conflict." A fourth was intended, but as interest in the franchise declined, the project was scrapped. Academy Award Nominations: 2, including Best Original Song ("Ave Satani"). Academy Awards: Best Original Score.

Filmed mostly in England. Color by DeLuxe.