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. In this prequel to the original 1970’s classic, John Frankenheimer was originally hired as director but withdrew before filming started due to health concerns. He was replaced by Paul Schrader followed by Renny Harlin. This 2005 re-release is Schrader’s director’s cut.