''The Prophecy'' is an American
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
horror-
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
, which focuses on
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
s fighting each other to protect the survival of the human race on Earth. Produced by Dimension Film, the series was established in 1995 with the eponymous first installment, ''
The Prophecy
''The Prophecy'' is a 1995 American fantasy thriller film starring Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen, Eric Stoltz, and Viggo Mortensen. It was written and directed by Gregory Widen in his feature directorial debut, and is the f ...
'', which has since been followed by four direct-to-video
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
s. In 2005, its latest sequel ''
The Prophecy: Forsaken'' was released on DVD instead of VHS.
Films
''The Prophecy'' (1995)
The first of what became a series of films, ''
The Prophecy
''The Prophecy'' is a 1995 American fantasy thriller film starring Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen, Eric Stoltz, and Viggo Mortensen. It was written and directed by Gregory Widen in his feature directorial debut, and is the f ...
'' was directed and written by
Gregory Widen
Gregory Widen is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the creator of the '' Highlander'' film and television franchise, and the writer-director of the cult horror film ''The Prophecy''.
Biography
A native of Laguna Beach, Califor ...
.
The Archangel Gabriel (
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
) searches for an evil soul on Earth, while another angel named Simon (
Eric Stoltz
Eric Cameron Stoltz (born September 30, 1961) is an American actor, director and producer. He played the role of Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film ''Mask'', which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Support ...
) warns Detective Thomas Dagget (
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas (; el, Ηλίας Κοτέας; born March 11, 1961) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Alvin "Al" Olinsky in the ''Chicago'' franchise, as well as appearing in lead and supporting roles in numerous films. He won the Cana ...
) of coming events, before disappearing. Gabriel’s second-in-command, Uziel (Jeff Cadiente), tracks Simon down and attempts to kill him, but Simon kills him instead.
Investigating the disturbance, Thomas goes to Simon's apartment and finds an obituary for a recently deceased
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
veteran, Colonel Arnold Hawthorne, clipped from a newspaper in Chimney Rock, Arizona. More puzzling, Thomas finds a copy of a theology text that he himself wrote years ago. In Chimney Rock, Simon, who is badly wounded after his fight with Uziel, finds the veteran and removes the soul from the body, and in desperation to hide, he passes it on to a small schoolgirl, Mary (Moriah Shining Dove Snyder) whom he befriends. Mary immediately falls ill, and is cared for by her teacher, Katherine (
Virginia Madsen
Virginia Gayle Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an American actress and film producer. She made her film debut in ''Class'' (1983), which was filmed in her native Chicago. After she moved to Los Angeles, director David Lynch cast her as Pri ...
).
Gabriel later finds Simon and kills him by ripping his heart out, after discovering that he does not have the soul. The police detective and the teacher unknowingly become caught in the middle of an angelic war. As the film progresses, Katherine is confronted by Lucifer (
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argentin ...
), who tells her that since the creation of man, no soul has been allowed to enter Heaven due to the war waged by Gabriel. He knows that if Gabriel wins, Heaven will ultimately devolve into another Hell, and that does not sit well with him because it is "one Hell too many". The next day, Lucifer appears to Thomas, telling him about the nature of Hell, and then advises him to use Gabriel's lack of faith as a weapon against him. When Gabriel arrives, Thomas questions him about his true motives for starting the war. Gabriel reveals that God no longer speaks to him. The angel attempts to disrupt the Native American ritual, but is stopped by Thomas, who runs over Gabriel with a truck, then beats him with a tire iron.
As the ritual continues, Lucifer appears and approaches Gabriel. He tells him the war is based on arrogance, which is evil, making it Lucifer's territory. Lucifer rips out Gabriel's heart while Hawthorne's soul is expelled from Mary and destroyed, seemingly by God. Lucifer consumes Gabriel's heart, and with blood dripping off his mouth, he asks Thomas and Katherine to "come home" with him, but they refuse. The film ends with Thomas commenting on the nature of faith and what it means to be human.
''The Prophecy II'' (1998)
''
The Prophecy II
''The Prophecy II'' is a 1998 American Fantasy film, fantasy-Action film, action-Horror film, horror film and the second installment in The Prophecy (film series), ''The Prophecy'' series. Christopher Walken reprises his role as the Archangel Gabri ...
'' directed by Greg Spence, written by
Matt Greenberg
Matt Greenberg is an American screenwriter and producer best known for his work on the horror films '' Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'', '' 1408'', and ''Pet Sematary
''Pet Sematary'' is a 1983 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. Th ...
and Greg Spence.
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
(reprised by
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
) returns from Hell to Earth to prevent the birth of a child, a
nephilim
The Nephilim (; ''Nəfīlīm'') are mysterious beings or people in the Hebrew Bible who are large and strong. The word ''Nephilim'' is loosely translated as ''giants'' in some translations of the Hebrew Bible, but left untranslated in others. ...
, the offspring of one of his kind and one of God's "talking monkeys" (i.e., humans). The coming of this child, said to precede reconciliation between the warring factions in heaven, has been prophesied by a monk, Thomas Daggett (
Bruce Abbott
Bruce Paul Abbott (born July 28, 1954) is an American film, stage, and television actor. Originally beginning his career in theater, Abbott later gained notoriety for his role as Dan Cain in the cult film, cult sci-fi horror films ''Re-Animator'' ...
)
—the former detective from the first film in the series. The child's conception takes place when Valerie (
Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and former teen model. She made her film debut in ''My Bodyguard'' (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her role in ''Flashdance'' (1983), for which she won NAACP Image Awa ...
), a nurse, is seduced by an attractive stranger, the
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
Danyael (
Russell Wong
Russell Wong (; born March 1, 1963) is an American actor of film and television. He was one of the first actors of Chinese descent to hold a leading role in a primetime American television series, portraying Jian-Wa with Chi Muoi Lo portraying W ...
), whom she hit with her car. She finds a few days later that she is in advanced pregnancy.
Gabriel attempts to find the whereabouts of the child from Daggett, but kills him when he refuses to help. Desperate for assistance after Danyael kills members of his army of angels, Gabriel employs the assistance of a deceased teenage girl, Izzy (
Brittany Murphy
Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...
), who has just committed suicide. The Angel of Death is keeping her alive because despite his powers as an angel, he is completely naive about technology therefore he needs Izzy to use her computer and driving skills to assist him on his search for Valerie.
Gabriel's war against Danyael and the other angels climaxes in a battle in
Eden, now an industrial wasteland. Danyael is killed, but Valerie defeats Gabriel by seizing him and jumping from a building, confident that God will protect her as He told her He would (she reveals that Gabriel is unable to hear His voice as he simply does not listen); she is indeed unharmed, but Gabriel is impaled on a spike. As punishment, Gabriel is turned into a human by
Archangel Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
(
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts (born April 18, 1956) is an American actor. His career began with a leading role in ''King of the Gypsies'' (1978) for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He was nominated again at the Golden Globes fo ...
). Valerie raises the child by herself, accepting the risk that the angels may come for her. The film ends with Gabriel as a derelict; a face in the sky and ominous clouds show that the war in heaven is not over.
''The Prophecy 3: The Ascent'' (2000)
''
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent'' directed by
Patrick Lussier
Patrick Lussier (born 1964) is a Canadian-American filmmaker and editor, known for his numerous collaborations with director Wes Craven and fellow screenwriters Laeta Kalogridis and Todd Farmer, as well as his work in the Horror film, horror gen ...
, written by Carl Dupré and
Joel Soisson
Joel Soisson is an American filmmaker. He works primarily in the field of independent film. His numerous credits include ''Dracula 2000'', ''A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge'', ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'', ''The Prophecy'' ...
. In the third installment of the series, the Angel Gabriel (reprised by ''
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
'') has taken up residence on Earth and has been watching over the Rosales family for years as a human being. One night, he witnesses the neighbors of the Rosales forming a mob and setting their house on fire with
Molotov cocktail
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see other names'') is a hand thrown incendiary weapon constructed from a frangible container filled with flammable substances equipped with a fuse (typically a glass bottle filled with flamma ...
s. Sadly, Valerie Rosales (not reprised by ''
Jennifer Beals
Jennifer Beals (born December 19, 1963) is an American actress and former teen model. She made her film debut in ''My Bodyguard'' (1980), before receiving critical acclaim for her role in ''Flashdance'' (1983), for which she won NAACP Image Awa ...
'') perishes in the flames; however, Gabriel is able to save her boy, Danyael.
Eighteen years later; Danyael (Dave Buzzotta), as an adult, is a heretic preacher with a storefront church who tells his flock that God does not care much for the people who tend the Earth. Suddenly, a blind man ''
Brad Dourif
Bradford Claude Dourif (; born March 18, 1950) is an American actor. He was nominated for an Oscar, and won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for his film debut role as Billy Bibbit in '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975). He is also kn ...
'' – who claims to hear the voice of God – shoots Danyael several times in the chest; however, several hours after he is pronounced dead, Danyael
rises from his slab at the morgue and heads out into the street. It appears that Danyael is a
Nephilim
The Nephilim (; ''Nəfīlīm'') are mysterious beings or people in the Hebrew Bible who are large and strong. The word ''Nephilim'' is loosely translated as ''giants'' in some translations of the Hebrew Bible, but left untranslated in others. ...
– born of an Angel and a woman– with the abilities of superhuman agility,
regeneration
Regeneration may refer to:
Science and technology
* Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs
* Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis
...
, and can only die if his
heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
is removed.
Furthermore, it is revealed that his destiny is to prevent Pyriel (
Scott Cleverdon
Scott Cleverdon (born 31 July 1969) is a Scottish actor best known as the angel Pyriel in the film '' The Prophecy 3: The Ascent''. He has also done significant voice acting.
He was born and brought up in Edinburgh, attending Broughton High ...
), the Angel of Genocide, from overthrowing
God
In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
and
destroying all mankind. In addition, Danyael learns from Gabriel that the two previous attempts in his life – the burning of his childhood home which resulted in the death of his mother and the later assassination at the church – were the workings of Pyriel. As Gabriel further explains, the Angel of Genocide has the ability to plague the minds of humans – such as the neighbors of the Rosales family and the blind assassin – with the thoughts of
hatred
Hatred is an intense negative emotional response towards certain people, things or ideas, usually related to opposition or revulsion toward something. Hatred is often associated with intense feelings of anger, contempt, and disgust. Hatred is s ...
in order for them to accomplish his dirty work.
Maggie (Kayren Butler), his understandably upset girlfriend, is then approached by Zophael (
Vincent Spano
Vincent M. Spano Jr. (born October 18, 1962) is an American film, stage and television actor; he is also a film director and producer.
Early life
Spano was born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian-American parents Vincent Sr. and Theresa.
Career ...
), a
fallen angel
In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said R ...
who seeks to prevent Danyael from fulfilling his destiny. He manages to convince her that Danyael is the only one in danger, and enlists her help in tracking him down. Meanwhile, Danyael’s journey leads him to a
Native American reservation where he briefly meets Mary (reprised by ''Moriah 'Shining Dove' Snyder'') – a character first introduced as a child in the
first film – who informs him that she dreamed of his coming, and that she believes Danyael will be victorious against Pyriel. After parting from Mary, Zophael purposely crashes the vehicle in an attempt to run down Danyael which badly injures Maggie as a result of the crash. Zophael is killed in the ensuing fight, but now Danyael must confront Pyriel while weakened by his wounds from the previous battle.
Danyael heads off to face Pyriel armed with Zophael's weapon – a staff that has an extendable blade that expands out as a six-pronged hook designed to rip out the victim’s heart – while Gabriel watches over Maggie. He confronts Pyriel, but the Nephlim is no match for him, although he succeeds in impaling him with the specially designed weapon. Suddenly, when it appears that Pyriel is going to be victorious, God seemingly sends down a
lightning bolt, electrocuting the weapon and, through it, Pyriel, as a result, weakening him. Danyael then extends the blade into its
prong
Prong or Prongs may refer to:
* Prong, synonym of tine (structural), a branch or spike of various tools and natural objects
* Prong (band), an American metal band
* Prong (company), an iPhone accessories company in New York City
* Prongs, British ...
s form and removes Pyriel's heart, killing him and apparently ending the war in Heaven. He returns to Maggie who is on the verge of death as she lies in the arms of Gabriel. With the war in Heaven apparently over (for the time being), Gabriel has redeemed himself, is once again an Archangel and with his regained divine abilities saves Maggie before ascending.
''The Prophecy: Uprising'' (2005)
''
The Prophecy: Uprising'' directed by
Joel Soisson
Joel Soisson is an American filmmaker. He works primarily in the field of independent film. His numerous credits include ''Dracula 2000'', ''A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge'', ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'', ''The Prophecy'' ...
and written by John Sullivan.
The movie begins with the story of a woman named Allison (
Kari Wührer
Kari Samantha Wuhrer (born April 28, 1967) is an American actress, model, and singer. Wuhrer began her career as a teenager, and is best known for her time as a cast member on MTV's ''Remote Control'', as well as her roles as Maggie Beckett in t ...
) who has come into possession of The Lexicon, a mysterious book of prophecies that writes itself. This book contains the additional and still incomplete 23rd chapter of the final book in the Holy Bible, Revelation, also called The Apocalypse.
[from the actual Holy Bible, Book of Revelation contains 22 chapters] The last chapter depicts the end of the war of angels. One of the angels who fell with Satan,
Belial
Belial ( he, , ''Bəlīyyaʿal'') is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament which later became personified as the devilSee the reference to "Beliar" in ''The Ascension of Isaiah'', at EarlyChristianWritings.com', specifically at ...
(
Doug Bradley
Douglas William Bradley (born 7 September 1954) is an English actor and author, best known for his role as the lead Cenobite "Pinhead" in the ''Hellraiser'' film series and for narration on various Cradle of Filth albums. He is also starri ...
), is now a demon and wants this book.
While searching for Allison and the book, and to avoid detection, Belial keeps on murdering people and
taking their form. Meanwhile, Lucifer (
John Light) seeks the help of a cop, Dani Simionescu (
Sean Pertwee
Sean Carl Roland Pertwee''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 4 June 1964) is an English actor, narrator and producer with an extensive career since the 1980s in television and cinema productions.
He is known ...
), who has a dark secret; as a child he reported his parents to secret police, and then they were brought to police headquarters to be tortured in front of him and his baby sister. Afterward, his baby sister gets hurt and then given up for adoption. She is given the name Allison. Satan brings the cop to the same house which witnessed inhumane tortures, making it his domain. Allison, with guidance of the
voices in her head, reaches the same place, followed by Belial. It is the only place where Belial cannot hurt Allison. It is a place of evil, which makes it Satan's area, and he offers Allison and her brother protection. Here, the cop confesses his sins and seeks forgiveness but is rebuked by his sister. It is here that real motives are revealed. Belial, who was loyal to Satan, now wants to get some advantage from the war of angels. He is frustrated by the inertness of Satan and now wants an aggressive Hell. Satan, who had initially opposed God for his love for humans, helps humans to fight Belial. He does not want another Hell, believing that only one Hell is enough for the world. He helps the cop and Allison to kill Belial and then he absorbs Belial's soul. The movie concludes at the dawn, when Satan tells Allison that for the present the war of angels is over, but will not be for long. Showing her glimpses of her future, he advises her to keep the book safe.
''The Prophecy: Forsaken'' (2005)
''
The Prophecy: Forsaken'' directed by
Joel Soisson
Joel Soisson is an American filmmaker. He works primarily in the field of independent film. His numerous credits include ''Dracula 2000'', ''A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge'', ''Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'', ''The Prophecy'' ...
and written by John Sullivan.
Following the events of the previous film, Allison (reprised by
Kari Wührer
Kari Samantha Wuhrer (born April 28, 1967) is an American actress, model, and singer. Wuhrer began her career as a teenager, and is best known for her time as a cast member on MTV's ''Remote Control'', as well as her roles as Maggie Beckett in t ...
) is still protecting the
Lexicon
A lexicon is the vocabulary of a language or branch of knowledge (such as nautical or medical). In linguistics, a lexicon is a language's inventory of lexemes. The word ''lexicon'' derives from Koine Greek language, Greek word (), neuter of () ...
, an ancient book that will foretell the name of the coming
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...
, from renegade
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
s called
Thrones A throne is a seat of state for a potentate or dignitary.
Throne or Thrones may also mean: People
* Throne (surname)
Arts and entertainment
*The Throne (group), collaboration pseudonym for rappers Jay Z and Kanye West (as on Drake's "Pop Style")
* ...
who are led by a sinister character called Stark (
Tony Todd
Tony Todd (born December 4, 1954) is an American actor who made his debut as Sgt. Warren in the film ''Platoon'' (1986), and portrayed Kurn in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1990–1991) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Ni ...
). Allison is assisted by Dylan (
Jason Scott Lee
Jason Scott Lee (; born November 19, 1966) is an American actor and martial artist. He played Mowgli in Disney's 1994 live-action adaptation of ''The Jungle Book'' and Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film '' Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story''. He ...
), a contract killer, who was actually hired to kill Allison but after an
epiphany
Epiphany may refer to:
* Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight
Religion
* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
decides to help her instead. Allison also seeks help from Lucifer (reprised by
John Light) who explains that the Lexicon is going to name the anti-Christ in a matter of hours.
The angels later capture Allison and bring her before Stark; he tells her that he is against the whole messy idea of
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
and if they can find the name of the anti-Christ, they would kill the child before the
apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
happens – as a result saving humanity. Allison denies Stark’s offer because neither man or angel should go against God’s will and argues that is why she is still alive. Enraged, Stark threatens to kill Allison if he has to; however, he decides on letting her leave for now. As Allison leaves, Lucifer appears in the park to inform her about the motives of why Stark and other
seraphim
A seraph (, "burning one"; plural seraphim ) is a type of celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Chris ...
want to prevent Armageddon. If Armageddon happens, billion of human beings will die causing Heaven as well as Hell to be flooded with human souls. Envious of God's attention, Stark and the others want to prevent Armageddon so that Heaven will not be overpopulated with human souls as well as prove to God that they – the seraphim – are his victors. Lucifer, on the other hand, is keen on the idea of Armageddon because every corrupt soul that is rejected by God will appear at his doorstep in the billions and join his army.
Allison then runs to the abandoned house that contains the Lexicon and climbs the stairs to the top of the building as Stark is in hot pursuit. Meantime, the Lexicon produces the name of the anti-Christ — Mykael Paun, and he shall bear four distinct marks on his face. Stark corners her on the roof and claims that the child is there in Bucharest. As Stark tries to reason with Allison, he asks her if she wonders why she was chosen and how she has been able to keep the Lexicon from creatures more powerful than herself. He states that she is a "nephalim" – a half-breed between an angel named "Simon" (a character from the
first film) and a human – bred specifically to protect the Lexicon, therefore Allison is nothing more than a tool. Dylan, who is feeling the effects of death more than ever, staggers to the roof; he is caught between them. Allison pleads with him to accept God's will on faith, but Stark is telling him to complete his task so he can be done with this miserable existence. Dylan is torn; he goes back and forth between them before shooting Allison repeatedly in the chest. Nevertheless, there was method in his madness; as Allison falls over the precipice, the pages of the Lexicon scatter everywhere. The winds carry them throughout the streets of Bucharest, and Allison survives due to her "nephalim" healing powers. Now, Stark has no way of tracking all the pages of the Lexicon. The final page, the one Stark was looking for, falls at the feet of a young boy named Mykael Paun.
Production
Christopher Walken was robbed at the airport in Venice and his ''
The Prophecy II
''The Prophecy II'' is a 1998 American Fantasy film, fantasy-Action film, action-Horror film, horror film and the second installment in The Prophecy (film series), ''The Prophecy'' series. Christopher Walken reprises his role as the Archangel Gabri ...
'' script, glasses, keys, driver's license, and $100 were stolen. All items were later found (including the script) except for the money.
''
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent'' marked the directorial debut of Patrick Lussier, who has often worked as an editor for horror director
Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
.
''
The Prophecy: Uprising'' and ''
The Prophecy: Forsaken'' were filmed simultaneously.
Furthermore, both films are without
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
and
Steve Hytner
Steve Hytner (; born September 28, 1959) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Kenny Bania on the NBC series ''Seinfeld''.
Hytner is a native of Long Island, New York. He appeared as a regular in ''The 100 Lives of Bl ...
as
the
Archangel
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
and the
coroner
A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into Manner of death, the manner or cause of death, and to investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...
Joseph, respectively.
Reception
The first film of the series, ''
The Prophecy
''The Prophecy'' is a 1995 American fantasy thriller film starring Christopher Walken, Elias Koteas, Virginia Madsen, Eric Stoltz, and Viggo Mortensen. It was written and directed by Gregory Widen in his feature directorial debut, and is the f ...
'', received mostly positive reviews: ''
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the All ...
'' claimed that the film was "Chilling!" ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' glorifies the film for its "Top –Notch Cast!" ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' professes the film as "Entertaining!"
In 1998,
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organization established in 1972 dedicated to the advancement of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Academy is headquarter ...
rated the first sequel of the saga, ''
The Prophecy II
''The Prophecy II'' is a 1998 American Fantasy film, fantasy-Action film, action-Horror film, horror film and the second installment in The Prophecy (film series), ''The Prophecy'' series. Christopher Walken reprises his role as the Archangel Gabri ...
'', as "The Year's Most Suspenseful Thriller" and ''
Cinefantastique
''Cinefantastique'' is an American horror, fantasy, and science fiction film magazine.
History
The magazine originally started as a mimeographed fanzine in 1967, then relaunched as a glossy, offset printed quarterly in 1970 by publisher/editor ...
'' praises the film for being "Intense…Action Packed!
hristopherWalken Steals the Show!"
Home media
The sequel films of ''The Prophecy'' were released
direct-to-DVD
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...
without a theatrical release.
Cast and characters
* A dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prophecy (film series)
American film series
Dimension Films films
Fantasy film series
Horror film series
Action film series