Director Michael Mohan’s new horror movie, Immaculate, has run into a translation issue in Russia that has left him baffled. The film, which debuted at the SXSW Film Festival and had a limited theater run in the US, was released this week on premium video on demand. However, in Russia, the title of the movie seems to have been translated incorrectly on the movie poster, leading to a bizarre combination of Immaculate and another horror thriller called The First Omen. The confusion arose when the Russian distributor changed the title of Immaculate to “OMEN. IMMACULATE” on the poster.
The similarities between Immaculate and The First Omen, which was released around the same time domestically, have added to the confusion in Russia. Both films revolve around young women in the church dealing with sinister happenings and unexpected pregnancies. This coincidence might further confuse audiences in Russia, where both movies are being released in theaters. The misinterpretation of Immaculate’s title could potentially impact its box office performance in the country, but it remains to be seen how audiences will react to the mix-up.
Director Mohan expressed his shock at the title change on social media, where commenters pointed out that this wasn’t the first time a film title had been mistranslated in Russian. The connection between Immaculate and The Omen franchise, from which The First Omen is a prequel, could also be playing into the confusion. Interestingly, Mohan’s social media activity includes following 666 users on the platform, tying back to the thematic element of the mark of the beast in The Omen series.
Immaculate stars Sydney Sweeney as a young nun who uncovers dark secrets in an Italian convent, while The First Omen follows a young novitiate in Rome who investigates a conspiracy within the church. The thematic similarities between the two films, along with the title mix-up in Russia, have created a tricky situation for both movies. Despite the confusion over the title, Immaculate marks a collaboration between Sweeney and Mohan, who previously worked together on The Voyeurs and the Netflix series Everything Sucks!
In conclusion, the bizarre interpretation of the title Immaculate in Russia has added an unexpected twist to the film’s international release. The confusion stemming from the similarity between Immaculate and The First Omen, as well as the translation error on the Russian poster, raises questions about how audiences in the country will perceive the movie. Director Michael Mohan’s surprise at the situation highlights the challenges of international distribution and the importance of clear communication in marketing. Only time will tell how the title change impacts Immaculate’s reception in Russia and whether audiences will be able to distinguish it from The First Omen.
