While Billy Crawford ignited the Dance floor with the stars in the first episode of season 12 of the show, back to one of his performances as a demonic actor that we could not see in the cinema…
The 12th season of Dancing with the stars was launched this Friday, September 9 with a whole string of candidates ready to wiggle their hips in order to win the famous trophy.
Among them, we could find Billy CrawfordFilipino-American singer, dancer and television host who found success in France in the early 2000s thanks to the title Trackin’ notably, taken from his second album, Wrinkled.
This Friday evening, it is alongside his partner, Fauve Hautotthat the singer dazzled the jury and immediately qualified for the rest of the competition by obtaining the coveted 4 immunity buzzes.
But Billy Crawford also appeared on the screen as an actor from an early age, playing his first character in 1988, at the age of 6, in the Filipino film entitled Moises Platon.
Subsequently, he acted in several Philippine film and television productions before finally landing his first role in the United States in 2002 in what was then announced as the prequel to The Exorcist (1973) by William Friedkin… a film never released in France which is nevertheless part of the legendary horror saga. What happened ? Back to the facts.
GENESIS OF THE PROJECT
Planned as the 4th installment of the franchise, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist was originally to be carried out by John Frankenheimer before the latter leaves the project, from then on entrusted to Paul Schrader.
However, the psychological thriller version without too much gore of Schrader does not convince the studio Morgan Creek Productions which finances the film. This is how, despite the fact that the shooting is already very advanced, the feature film has been completely reinvented: we are talking about a new script, new actors… and a new director!
COMPLETE OVERHAUL
So it’s a brand new movie. Renny Harlin then began to shoot, retaining however some actors from the previous project such as Stellan Skarsgard (Father Lankester Merrin in both productions), Ralph Brown (the sergeant major) and Julian Wadham (Major Granville).
Other actors, however, being no longer available, have themselves replaced: thus, it is James D’Arcy who takes over the role of Father Francis previously played by Gabriel Mann. Others finally, out of solidarity for Paul Schrader, refuse to return.
But what about Billy Crawford? His role is no longer included in the new production, so he will not be part of his distribution. His character, Cheche, a young man possessed by the demon Pazuzu – which will obviously have to be exorcised – will therefore only exist in Dominion.
Morgan Creek Productions
Billy Crawford in “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist”
DOMINION FINALLY SAVED?
But, reversal of situation, the version of Renny Harlin, entitled The Exorcist: In the Beginningwill be both a critical and public failure when it was released in 2004. From then on, the production reacted: Morgan Creek thus allocated a budget of $35,000 to finalize the previous version.
With this rather meager offer, it is especially the special effects that will be reworked while the audio mixing is, for its part, carried out in haste. This is how Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist finally saw the light of day in 2005, but without much success. The film was never released in France and only had a limited release in the United States and a few European countries.
But do not doubt: considered an alternative version of The Exorcist: at the beginning, the feature film is indeed part of the horror franchise which has certainly not finished talking about it. Indeed, the first part of a sequel trilogysigned David GordonGreenis set to hit theaters on October 11, 2023.
In the meantime, discover the little secrets and details of the original film below if you haven’t already!