NEWS: Just One "Exorcist" Preguel Is Never Enough

...was unhappy with the footage turned in by original director Paul Schrader, claiming the film was devoid of the pea soup vomit and graphic bloodletting that made the original Exorcist so horrifying. Instead, Schrader reportedly offered up a creepy psychological thriller sans the gore.

Schrader and Morgan Creek eventually parted ways, citing "creative differences."

Looking for a more commercial scarefest, the producers hired writer Alexi Hawley to alter the script and director Renny Harlin (Cliffhanger, Deep Blue Sea) to reshoot the film. The budget was upped by $50 million, pushing the total production to nearly $100 million.

Harlin's version of Exorcist: The Beginning is now scheduled to hit theaters Aug. 20. But given the extraordinarily high cost of making the picture and potentially thorny screen-credit issues, Morgan Creek execs have reportedly decided to salvage Schrader's version and release it alongside Harlin's retooled take on DVD.

"This is going to sound unbelievable," Morgan Creek honcho James Robinson told Variety regarding the idea. "But we made a movie--twice. If you see the two movies, you wouldn't believe it's the same [cinematographer]."