Antonio Campos reveals Gillian Flynn wrote a draft for his 'subversive' 'Omen' prequel (exclusive)

Lee Remick on the set of 'The Omen', directed by Richard Donner. (Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
Lee Remick on the set of 'The Omen', directed by Richard Donner. (Photo by Twentieth Century Fox Film/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Antonio Campos has revealed Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn took a pass at the script for the Omen prequel, before the director’s “amicable” exit from the project.

Campos signed up to helm the movie back in 2016, which was due to tell a “very subversive” new story, taking place before Antichrist child Damien is born to parents Gregory Peck and Lee Remick.

He has now told Yahoo Movies UK that the prequel is pressing on without him.

Antonio Campos on the set of Netflix thriller 'The Devil All the Time'. (Credit: Glen Wilson/Netflix)
Antonio Campos on the set of Netflix thriller 'The Devil All the Time'. (Credit: Glen Wilson/Netflix)

Read more: What happened to Hollywood’s scariest kids?

“That was a really cool project that I was involved in for a while,” Campos said, while promoting his new Netflix thriller The Devil All the Time.

The 37-year-old filmmaker added: “Ben Jacoby had written the first draft, then the Hayes brothers had come on to do a draft and then the last draft had been Gillian Flynn.

“So it was a very cool script and we had a very subversive, I will say, take on The Omen.

“It was very amicable the way it ended for me with the studio on that project. I’m excited to see the movie that they make.”

Watch: These are the most exciting new releases coming to Netflix this September

Read more: Flynn signs Amazon deal

Chad and Carey Hayes are best known for writing The Conjuring, while Flynn is of course best known for novels including Gone Girl — which became a David Fincher film — and Sharp Objects, which got a TV adaptation starring Amy Adams.

She adapted Gone Girl for the screen herself, earning a Golden Globe nomination, and then co-wrote the script for heist thriller Widows with director Steve McQueen.

Gillian Flynn attends a "Widows" screening on November 11, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
Gillian Flynn attends a "Widows" screening on November 11, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

The Hayes brothers — best known for writing The Conjuring — offered their own update on The Omen this week.

They told ComicBook.com that the movie isn’t far off going into production and that the story will “tell you where Damien came from”.

Read more: Cursed Films documentary explores most terrifying movie sets

Released in 1976, Richard Donner’s The Omen was a commercial success and won the Oscar for Best Original Score.

Child actor Harvey Spencer Stephens delivered a terrifying performance as Damien Thorn, earning him a Golden Globe nod.

The Devil All the Time is released on Netflix from 16 September.

Watch: The Devil All the Time trailer