The First Omen Director Taps Suzanna Son And Three More For A Chilling New Horror

Let me catch you up: Arkasha Stevenson, who made one heck of a first impression as a feature film director with The First Omen (the surprisingly good prequel to the 1976 classic), is not done with horror yet. Apparently she likes scaring people as much as we (well, most of us) like getting scared.

If you missed The First Omen on its way through theaters, it didn’t just quietly exist—it actually got real love from critics, including strong reviews from JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray and Tyler Nichols. Not bad for a prequel, considering most of those are embarrassing afterthoughts. And while Paramount’s Apartment 7A (Rosemary’s Baby prequel, anyone?) barely registered with audiences, Stevenson was quietly locking down her next gig with A24.

What To Expect: Something Scary, Something Secret

Four months back, Stevenson’s unnamed new horror project for A24 was announced. Up till now, details have mostly been hidden away (because of course they are), but we do know it’s supposed to revolve around a bachelor party that goes off the rails—presumably not just because someone brought a magic trick set or the wrong kind of mushrooms.

Other than that, your guess is as good as mine about what kind of terror is going to crash this bachelor party. Demons? Ghosts? Awkward improv games? We’ll find out.

The Cast: A Who’s Who in Modern Horror and Weirdness

Stevenson is clearly picking up people who know their way around horror, dark comedy, or at least intense weirdness. Here’s who’s currently on board:

• New additions: Katelyn Rose Downey (The Nun II), Fabien Frankel (House of the Dragon), Emory Cohen (Marty Supreme), and Suzanna Son (who’s getting used to the horror circuit after Fear Street: Prom Queen, Monster: The Ed Gein Story, and the upcoming Strobe)
• Already announced: Josh Hutcherson (Five Nights at Freddy’s), Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out), Whitmer Thomas (Weapons), Emma Corrin (Nosferatu), Hunter Schafer (Cuckoo), Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms), and Sophie Wilde (Talk to Me)

One change to the lineup: Frank Dillane (from Fear the Walking Dead) was previously attached, but he’s out now. No word on why, but hey, it happens.

Who’s Pulling the Strings?

Stevenson isn’t just directing—she also co-wrote the script with Tim Smith, who helped her write The First Omen. The producers are kind of a dream team for A24 horror fans: Lars Knudsen and Emily Hildner via Square Peg (yep, that’s Ari Aster’s production company), with Aster himself (the guy behind Hereditary and Midsommar) credited as executive producer. Tim Smith, Harrison Huffman, and Christina D'Souza are also producing.

Background Check on Stevenson

Before she started tackling devilish lore on the big screen, Stevenson cut her teeth making short films and directing TV episodes—including Channel Zero, Legion, Briarpatch, and Brand New Cherry Flavor. Suffice to say, she knows her way around strange, ambitious horror.

'Plot details are being kept under wraps, but Deadline was told that the story reportedly centers on a bachelor party that spirals into terror.'

Stevenson keeping tight-lipped about actual plot details just makes sense at this point—nobody at A24 ever just hands out spoilers. In the meantime, if you’ve got thoughts on this cast or bets on how the bachelor party goes to hell (literally or figuratively), let me know below.