By the Numbers

(Un)finished business

“Exorcist: The Beginning” takes possession of theaters today after a rewrite, recast, reshoot by a different director (Renny Harlin) than an earlier finished version (Paul Schrader). Harlin stepped in after the late John Frankenheimer dropped out because of his health. Another high-profile project based on an idea that sprang from “The Graduate” recently replaced director Ted Griffin with Rob Reiner. Here are a few randomly selected movies on which the director was replaced, walked away or whose final cut was re-edited by someone else, regardless of whom wound up with screen credit and gross proceeds.

Film (Year): “Toy Story 2” (‘99)

Original/subsequent director: Ash Brannon/John Lasseter

Domestic gross (In millions): $245.9

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Film (Year): “Payback” (‘99)

Original/subsequent director: Brian Helgeland/Paul Abascal

Domestic gross (In millions): $81.5

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Film (Year): “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” (‘03)

Original/subsequent director: Stephen Norrington/Paul Rubell

Domestic gross (In millions): $66.5

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Film (Year): “The Time Machine” (‘02)

Original/subsequent director: Simon Wells/Gore Verbinski

Domestic gross (In millions): $56.7

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Film (Year): “The Island of Dr. Moreau” (‘97)

Original/subsequent director: Richard Stanley/John Frankenheimer

Domestic gross (In millions): $14.2

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Film (Year): “Supernova” (‘00)

Original/subsequent director: Walter Hill/Francis Ford Coppola

Domestic gross (In millions): $14.2

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Film (Year): “American History X” (‘98)

Original/subsequent director: Tony Kaye/Edward Norton

Domestic gross (In millions): $6.7

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Film (Year): “Radio Flyer”

Original/subsequent director: David Mickey Evans/Richard Donner

Domestic gross (In millions): $4.7

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Source: Nielsen EDI