PAUL SCHRADER - DITCHED EXORCIST MOVIE TO BE RELEASED ON DVD

Veteran director PAUL SCHRADER is furious his axed prequel to 1973 horror classic THE EXORCIST will be released on DVD at the same time as its replacement - because he wants it to receive a theatrical release.

AMERICAN GIGOLO film-maker Schrader - who also scripted TAXI DRIVER and RAGING BULL - had completed shooting his version of EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING when studio MORGAN CREEK insisted it needed more gore.

Schrader, who saw the story as a "character-driven period drama", was sacked and replaced by A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER director RENNY HARLIN to give it a more bloody look.

Harlin then started shooting the $54 million (GBP30 million) prequel from scratch.

But an upset Schrader says, "I'm very proud of my film, and I think it deserves to be seen."

Exorcist: The Beginning is due to be released in cinemas later this year (04) with the DVD release date as yet announced.