9 Last-Minute Changes That Ruined Movies
3. Exorcist: The Beginning - Upping The Action Scenes
When Paul Schrader set out to make a prequel to The Exorcist, his plan was to deliver a thought-provoking psychological horror in the vein of the classic original.
The movie dealt with a young Father Lankester Merrin's demon-exorcising exploits in Africa many years before he first encountered the possessed Regan MacNeil. Schrader's focus was slow-building tension, but the studio hated an early cut he delivered.
Schrader was sacked and replaced by Die Hard 2 director Renny Harlin, who was given the mandate to make Exorcist: The Beginning more action-driven. The version he made was certainly that, though it was also dumbed down, devoid of any decent scares and critically panned.
After the movie bombed, the power of Christ compelled Warner Bros to return to Schrader and give him funding to complete the film he originally set out to make. It was released as Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist, and it's at least watchable.