Lifetime is producing a follow-up series to The Omen, starring Merlin‘s Bradley James as the title character Damien.
Classic horror film The Omen (Richard Donner’s 1976 masterpiece, which was remade in 2006) follows Robert Thorn, an ambassador who realises that his adopted child Damien is the Antichrist.
Lifetime has ordered a miniseries which follows the life of the now-adult Damien, and Deadline reports that Merlin star Bradley James (King Arthur) has signed on for the role.
As a grown-up, Damien is still seemingly unaware of the satanic forces in his life. “Haunted by his past, Damien must now come to terms with his true destiny — that he is the Antichrist, the most feared man throughout the ages.”
The six-episode miniseries is set to premiere in 2015. Shekhar Kapur will direct the first episode, which is written written and executively produced by Glen Mazzara. Kapur, Ross Fineman and Pancho Mansfield will also serve as executive producers on the project.
This marks Bradley James’ first major role since Merlin concluded its five-year run in 2012.
While most of the other Merlin actors have done various projects since the BBC series ended, James has notably stayed out of the spotlight. In fact, the actor’s only post-Merlin role so far has been a guest spot on Homeland earlier this year.
The Antichrist is obviously a very different character from the legendary King Arthur. Whether or not he has been waiting for a role like this, the clear break (from ultimate good to ultimate evil) certainly prevents type-casting for the 31-year-old British actor.