10 Insane Ways Movies Got Sabotaged
5. The Entire Movie Was Re-Shot With A Different Director - Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist
Legendary screenwriter Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver) directed an Exorcist prequel in 2003, but after studio Morgan Creek saw a rough cut, they decided to fire Schrader and reshoot the entire movie with a new director (Die Hard 2's Renny Harlin), reworked script, and new cast.
The only cast member who remained was lead Stellan Skarsgård, in a new version of the movie called Exorcist: The Beginning, which was released in the summer of 2004 to a critical drubbing and disappointing box office performance.
Tragi-comically, though, Morgan Creek then allowed Schrader to finish editing his original film - albeit with minimal post-production resources - which was released in cinemas the very next May under the title Dominion: Prequel To The Exorcist.
Yet it's fair to say that the dud released the year prior basically poisoned the well and ensured interest in Schrader's film just wasn't there.
Despite scoring better reviews than Renny Harlin's do-over - though still predominantly negative - it grossed just $251,495 globally, due to Morgan Creek dumping it in cinemas on limited released with next-to-no marketing.
Evidently, Schrader's film never really stood a chance.