May 20, 2005.
That's soon.
I don't know how much you folks know about the film industry, but this move by Warner Bros. is unprecedented and ballsy. Sure, money is the driving force behind the decision, but it's an amazing thing to see happen nonetheless. With a domestic gross of just over $75 million the 'official' released version of Exorcist: The Beginning didn't perform well enough to pay for itself, never mind it's sister movie helmed by Schrader, so everybody would like to make a little bit of green on this enterprise, but to have a major studio, and a control freak like James Robinson of Morgan Creek, admit that the first one wasn't good enough and that they were wrong for shitcanning Schrader's original vision for being too cerebral, is astounding.And releasing two versions of the same movie within 12 months of each other?
I'm sure part of why Warner Bros. made this decision involves the eventual DVD bonanza of Collector's Editions and Special Editions and Special Collector's Editions of the various versions of the film they could move on the lucrative DVD market (my mind is a montage of dollar signs, delivery trucks and ledger entries as I write this paragraph).
What matters, though, is that people are finally going to see it, and if it does well, it'll be the cerebral movie, not the lowest common denominator version that gets the kudos and the box-office. It will also be cool for anyone really interested in film since they're going to be able to see two director's visions of what is, essentially, the same story. It's a film students dream.
Now, hopefully, Schrader's version is as good as everyone says it is otherwise we're all back to square one.
mike
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