Star Trek Has 4 Deep Connections To The Omen

Star Trek has 4 deep connections to The Omen. Directed by Richard Donner, the original Omen movie was released in 1976. It was a box office smash, grossing over $60 million in North America. The Omen's success spawned a franchise, with three sequels into the 1990s charting the life of Damien Thorn, the Antichrist. A 2006 remake of The Omen followed, and the franchise has been revitalized by the 2024 prequel, The First Omen, which builds to the events of The Omen (1976). However, Star Trek is part of The Omen's roots.

When The Omen was terrifying moviegoers in 1976, Star Trek was struggling to make its own leap to the big screen. A Star Trek movie was in development with creator Gene Roddenberry at the helm, but multiple attempts at a story, including one called Planet of the Titans, stalled. Paramount shifted gears a year later, deciding to make a sequel TV series, Star Trek: Phase II, the flagship of the studio's attempt to launch its own TV network. However, the blockbuster success of Star Wars in 1977 scuttled the Phase II TV project. Star Trek was again purposed as a feature film that eventually became 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, directed by Robert Wise. And one key player from the first Star Trek movie was critical to The Omen's success.

4 Gregory Peck's Link To Star Trek

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Ethan Peck is Gregory Peck's grandson

The Omen stars Gregory Peck as Robert Thorn, the father of Damien, who he is horrified to learn is the Antichrist. Peck is the grandfather of Ethan Peck, who plays Lt. Spock in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. In The Omen, Robert Thorn is the wealthy and powerful US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. When his natural-born son dies in childbirth, Robert decides to secretly switch his baby for another infant and raise him as his son, not realizing the child is the son of the Devil and that Thorn was chosen to position Damien to grow into power and influence.

On Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Ethan Peck continues his Academy Award-winning grandfather's acting legacy. Portraying the younger version of Spock that was originated by Leonard Nimoy, Peck's Vulcan has the same gravitas as Nimoy, showcasing the acting prowess Ethan inherited from Gregory. Interestingly, watching Gregory Peck in The Omen, it's easy to imagine him also having the chops to play a Vulcan in Star Trek.

3 David Warner's Connection To Star Trek

Warner played 3 memorable Star Trek characters

David Warner plays Keith Jennings in The Omen. Jennings is a British photographer covering Ambassador Thorn, and he's present at Damien's birthday party when the boy's nanny gruesomely commits suicide to prove her loyalty to the Antichrist. Jennings quickly realizes that a mark follows Damien's victims in the photographs he's taken, and he informs Robert Thorn of his discovery, which leads to his doom.

Star Trek has enjoyed three memorable David Warner characters and performances. In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Warner portrayed St. John Talbot, the United Federation of Planets' representative to Nimbus III. Warner returned in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Klingon High Chancellor Gorkon, who is assassinated in a conspiracy to prevent peace between the Klingons and the Federation. Finally, Warner played one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most memorable villains, Cardassian Gul Madred, who famously tortured Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).

2 Stuart Baird's Connection To Star Trek

Baird is the director of Star Trek: Nemesis

Stuart Baird is a British editor, producer, and director, and he was the editor of The Omen. Baird worked with director Richard Donner on several of his films, including Superman: The Movie and Superman II,Lethal Weapon and Lethal Weapon 2, and Maverick. Baird also directed the films Executive Decision and US Marshals. Baird's work as the editor of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Mission: Impossible 2 for Paramount led him to Star Trek.

Stuart Baird directed Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002, and he also voiced the computer of the Scimitar, the starship of the villain Shinzon (Tom Hardy). Baird, who was not knowledgeable about Star Trek, clashed with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation over creative decisions. Star Trek: Nemesis' critical and box office failure ended the Star Trek: The Next Generation film franchise. However, Star Trek: Nemesis allowed Baird to work with composer Jerry Goldsmith once more.

1 Jerry Goldsmith's Connection To Star Trek

Goldsmith is a celebrated Star Trek composer

Jerry Goldsmith was the composer of The Omen. Goldsmith's haunting score was critical to The Omen becoming a horror movie sensation with audiences. Goldsmith went on to become vitally important to the Star Trek movie and TV franchises. Goldsmith scored Star Trek: The Motion Picture, including composing the majestic Star Trek theme that later became the main theme of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Goldsmith's work on Star Trek continued when he returned to score the films Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek: Nemesis, which allowed him to work with his friend, Stuart Baird, from The Omen. Goldsmith also composed the main theme of Star Trek: Voyager. Jerry Goldsmith is one of the most important figures when it comes to the celebrated music of Star Trek, but he scored The Omen first.