Exorcist: The Beginning then allowed Warner Bros. to release Schrader's version theatrically under the title "". It had a more limited release in May 2005, and received slightly better critical notices than Harlin's version. William Peter Blatty (the author/screenwriter of "The Exorcist") said that watching "Exorcist: The Beginning" was his "most humiliating professional experience." On the other hand, Blatty said that "Dominion" is "a handsome, classy, elegant piece of work." Critical responses to "Exorcist: The Beginning" were mostly negative, with the film earning a low 11% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Prominent critic Roger Ebert wrote, "I've seen both versions and much prefer
Exorcist II: The Heretic with flashbacks in "Exorcist II". Although this same exorcism becomes the central plot line for the most recent "Exorcist" movies "" and "", little effort was made to keep the stories consistent. The boy is not named Kokumo, and the locations and circumstances of the exorcism do not resemble "Exorcist II: The Heretic" even remotely. Ultimately it is revealed from "Exorcist: The Beginning" that the African boy is not the one actually afflicted; it turns out to be another character entirely that is possessed. However, "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist" does show the African boy being the person who was