Horror boom leads to `Exorcist' prequel

THE HORROR film boom led by The Blair Witch Project is to continue with the announcement that a follow up will be made of one of the scariest films of the Seventies.

Warner Brothers has signed a deal to make Exorcist: Dominion a follow- up to the 1973 film about demonic possession that was so disturbing it was passed by the censors only for video. The film, based on a book by The Exorcist's original writer, William Peter Blatty, will be a so- called "prequel", concentrating on the story of the exorcist priest Father Merrin. It will tell the story of his first encounter with the Devil while doing missionary work in Africa. No cast has yet been lined up but filming is to start in Africa next spring.

Ian Nathan, associate editor of Empire magazine, said: "Having been banned for so long the film has a certain cachet. It was a virtuoso directing job and very atmospheric, so it is no surprise it is being followed up."

Horror movies dominate the top 10 film charts on both sides of the Atlantic. In Britain Blair is joined by John Carpenter's The Vampires and the Liam Neeson film The Haunting. In the US the remade House on Haunted Hill broke box-office records for a film opening on Hallowe'en weekend. In Britain, The Blair Witch Project took pounds 5.8m over the weekend. The film cost only pounds 20,000 to make.