Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writers:

William Peter Blatty (movie The Exorcist)
William Wisher Jr. (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 August 2005 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

Years before Father Lancaster Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil's soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa. Merrin's initial battle with Pazuzu leads to the rediscovery of his faith.

Plot Keywords:

Catholic Church | Hyena | Archeologist | Butterfly | Blood

Cast

Stellan Skarsgård	...	Father Lankester Merrin
Gabriel Mann	...	Father Francis
Clara Bellar	...	Rachel Lesno
Billy Crawford	...	Cheche
Ralph Brown	...	Sergeant Major
Israel Aduramo	...	Jomo
Andrew French	...	Chuma
Antonie Kamerling	...	Kessel
Julian Wadham	...	Major Granville
Eddie Osei	...	Emekwi
Ilario Bisi-Pedro	...	Sebituana
Niall Refoy	...	Corporal (Thief)
Lorenzo Camporese	...	Private (Thief)
Burt Caesar	...	Dr. Lamu
Marcello Santoni	...	Dutch Farmer
Griet van Damme	...	Teenage Dutch Girl
Simon McLinden	...	Corporal
Pet Chege	...	Sebituana's Wife
Hamadi Mwapachu	...	Convulsive Worker
Evelyn Duah	...	Mara
Rick Warden	...	Corporal Williams
Michele Mariotti	...	German Sergeant
Ben Meyjes	...	Soldier #2
Oliver Maltman	...	Soldier #3
Omari Carter	...	James
Adrian Black	...	Joseph
Nick Komornicki	...	Gun-Firing Soldier

Directed by
Paul Schrader

Writing credits
William Peter Blatty		(movie The Exorcist)
William Wisher Jr.		(written by) (as William Wisher) and
Caleb Carr		(written by)

Produced by
Guy McElwaine	....	executive producer
Wayne Morris	....	co-producer
David C. Robinson	....	executive producer
James G. Robinson	....	producer
Art Schaeffer	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Angelo Badalamenti
Dog Fashion Disco
Trevor Rabin

Cinematography by
Vittorio Storaro

Film Editing by
Tim Silano
William Yeh		(uncredited)

Casting by
Pam Dixon

Production Design by
John Graysmark

Art Direction by
Andy Nicholson
Marco Trentini

Set Decoration by
Elli Griff

Costume Design by
Luke Reichle

Makeup Department
Hayat Ouled Dahhou	....	hair stylist (as Hayat Ouleddahhou)
Barbara De Leonardis	....	assistant hair stylist
Elisabetta De Leonardis	....	hair stylist
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	hair designer
Jake Garber	....	prosthetics supervisor
Raffaella Iorio	....	makeup artist
Christopher Allen Nelson	....	makeup effects artist
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects designer (as Greg Nicotero)
Scott Patton	....	makeup designer
Alessandra Sampaolo	....	key makeup artist
Fabrizio Sforza	....	head makeup artist
Scott Stoddard	....	makeup effects artist

Production Management
Khadija Alami	....	production manager
Zakaria Alaoui	....	production supervisor
Wayne Morris	....	unit production manager
Stefano Spadoni	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Aaron Barsky	....	first assistant director
Tarik Ait Ben Ali	....	third assistant director
Filippo Fassetta	....	second assistant director: Italy
Emma Horton	....	second assistant director
Catherine Olaya Salazar	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Cristina Cecili	....	painter
Lisa Chugg	....	assistant set decorator
Jason Edward	....	lead technical artist
Paul Herndon	....	storyboard artist
Stuart Kearns	....	assistant art director
Michael King	....	production buyer
Alessandra Querzola	....	set decorator: Italy
Rachid Quiat	....	assistant art director
Saverio Sammali	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Joe Barnett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Susan Cahill	....	assistant sound editor
Cormac Funge	....	sound effects editor
Paul Longstaffe	....	dialogue editor
Michael C. Moore	....	sound mixer
Mathew Waters	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mathew Waters	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Danilo Bollettini	....	special effects supervisor
Massimo Cardajoli	....	special effects senior technician (as Massimo Cardaiolo)
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects designer (as Greg Nicotero)
Franco Simeone	....	special effects senior technician

Visual Effects by
David Beedon	....	digital effects artist: Morgan Creek
Beverly Bernacki	....	digital artist
Massimo Cipollina	....	computer graphics supervisor
Adriano Cirulli	....	assistant visual effects supervisor
Primo De Santis	....	digital effects artist
Emanuele Di Bacco	....	digital compositor
John F. Gross	....	visual effects supervisor: Eden FX (as John Gross)
Giulia Infurna	....	digital compositor: Proxima
Koji Kuramura	....	digital artist: Eden FX
Fabio Leporelli	....	character shading lead
Fabio Luongo	....	digital compositor
Tom Mahoney	....	visual effects supervisor
Michael D. Most	....	on-set visual effects supervisor (as Michael Most)
Stephen W. Pugh	....	visual effects producer: Eden FX
Gian Luca Rizzo	....	visual effects producer
Eddie Robison	....	digital artist: Eden FX
Salvo Severino	....	visual effects
Nicola Sganga	....	visual effects
Giuseppe Squillaci	....	pre-visualization: Proxima
Fabrizio Storaro	....	visual effects producer
John Teska	....	digital artist: Eden FX
Fabio Zaveti	....	digital compositor: Proxima
Paolo Zeccara	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
David Ambrosi	....	stunt coordinator
Massimiliano Bianchi	....	stunt actor: blacksmith

Camera and Electrical Department
Sergio Ambrosi	....	first grip
Alfredo Betrò	....	camera operator: "a" camera (as Alfredo Betró)
Fabio Cafolla	....	rigging gaffer
Filippo Cafolla	....	gaffer
Alessandro Chiodo	....	assistant camera
Alessandro Chiodo	....	camera loader: "b" camera
Marco Diamanti	....	key grip
Piernicola Di Muro	....	camera loader: "a" camera
Marco Gentili	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Roberto Gentili	....	focus puller: "a" camera
Marco Martelli	....	assistant camera
Valentin Monge	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Valentin Monge	....	steadicam operator
Willy Murgolo	....	lightboard operator
Sergio Strizzi	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Carolyn McLeod	....	additional casting: UK
Rebecca Rian	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tim Aslam	....	assistant costume supervisor
Alma Barbieri	....	head cutter
Stefania Corsetti	....	key wardrobe (as Stefania Angela Corsetti)
Annalisa Schmid	....	costume coordinator
Giovanni Scotti	....	wardrobe master
Marco Scotti	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Andrew Drapkin	....	color timer
Andrew Drapkin	....	colorist
Jayme Wing	....	on-line editor
Dwight Raymond	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Dog Fashion Disco	....	composer: additional music
Thomas S. Drescher	....	music editor (as Thomas Drescher)
Drew Lamond	....	assistant score engineer
Chase Lapp	....	composer: additional music
Philip Mann	....	music programmer
Philip Mann	....	orchestrator
Mike McAree	....	music engineer
Mike Oliver	....	composer: additional music
Jeff Siegel	....	composer: additional music
Todd Smith	....	composer: additional music
Jasan Stepp	....	composer: additional music
Steve Wright	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Edmondo Amati	....	transportation coordinator: Italy
Gerry Gore	....	transportation coordinator: Morocco

Other crew
Youssef Abagourram	....	location manager
Mohamed Benhmamane	....	location manager
Paul Cadiou	....	accountant
Gianfranco De Rosa	....	unit production supervisor
Andy Fraser	....	production executive
Nick Komornicki	....	armorer (as Nick Kormornicki)
Khadja Koulla	....	production coordinator
Marc Manser	....	assistant: Mr. Schrader
Giusy Mercuri	....	third accountant
Mario Mercuri	....	accountant
Sanaz Missaghian	....	travel coordinator
Francesco Tató	....	production assistant
Kathryn Waters	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Morgan Creek International

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Morgan Creek International (2005) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Benelux Film Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Inspire Pictures (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video Española S.A. (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Eden FX (visual effects)
• K.N.B. Effects Group (special makeup effects)
• Proxima (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Cinecittá Studios  production services: Italy
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• European Film Commission  production services: Italy
• Iride S.r.l.  lighting and grip equipment
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative cutting
• NT Audio Services  optical sound negative (as NT Audio)
• Technovision France  camera equipment
• Technovision  cranes and grip equipment (as Technovision Italia)
• Todd-AO Studios (West)  re-recorded at
• Wrightway Studios  additional music recorded and mixed at
• Zak Productions  production services: Morocco

Also Known As:

Exorcist: The Original Prequel (USA) (pre-release title)
Paul Schrader's Exorcist: The Beginning (USA) (pre-release title)
Paul Schrader's Exorcist: The Original Prequel (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and disturbing images.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 | Netherlands:16 | USA:R (certificate #41536) | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | Ireland:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Morgan Creek International

Trivia:

Father Francis' line "Satan is real!" is a reference to The Louvin Brothers' album and song of the same name.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Major Granville shoots himself, you clearly see that there is only a small bit of blood on the top of his head, but when the body bag is pulled back so Rachel can identify the body, the entire top of his head is blown open

Quotes:

Cheche: Don't ever touch me with that again, priest!

Movie Connections:

References The Searchers (1956)

Soundtrack:

Back to Me

Ignore "Should have gone straight to video" review

Another reviewer claims this film was just "Exorcist: The Beginning" with some "extra footage" added. Anyone who has been following the history of the production of this film know this is not the case.

This is the film that Paul Schrader shot and edited. The studio was unhappy with the results, fired him, and brought in Reny "Die Hard" Harlan to re-film it. The resulting Harlan film tanked at the box office, so Schrader was given permission to fully finish and release "Dominion" as a separate film.

If anything, this is a chance for film fans to see the "Exorcist" prequel they had been promised before the studio big-wigs stepped in and brought in a hack director to "bloody it up".