The Exorcist director William Friedkin passes away

William David Friedkin, known for directing The Exorcist among other films, and closely associated with the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s, passed away on Monday (August 7). Marcia Franklin, his executive assistant for 24 years announced that the late multi-hyphenated film and television director, producer, and screenwriter passed away in Los Angeles to the Associated Press. 

The filmmaker, 87, had deteriorating health for a while now. He was reportedly filming for his next but succumbed to his long illness. His claim to fame came with his fifth film as director, The French Connection (1971). The film won five Academy Awards, including one for Best Director. 

Immediately after The French Connection, Friedkin helmed The Exorcist in 1973, which was based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel. The film follows the story of a 12-year-old girl getting possessed by the devil. Although the film found itself caught amidst controversy, it was nominated for 10 Academy Award categories, out of which it won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.

The filmmaker then went on to helm a number of films including Sorcerer (1977), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), The Guardian (1990), and Killer Joe (2011). He made a comeback to Hollywood with The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (2023), after 12 years. However, none of these films gave him the acclaim he got from The French Connection and The Exorcist. 

A number of members of the film fraternity, including Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro, Eli Roth, and actor Elijah Wood, mourned the demise of the veteran filmmaker. William Friedkin is survived by his fourth wife, Sherry Lansing, and two sons.