William Peter Blatty, Author of 'Exorcist', Dies at Age 89

William Peter Blatty, American writer and filmmaker, who was best known for his 1971 novel The Exorcist, has passed away at the age of 89. He also wrote and directed the sequel The Exorcist III. Some of his other notable works are the novels Elsewhere (2009), Dimiter (2010) and Crazy (2010).

Blatty was born in New York City, on January 7, 1928, the fifth and youngest child of Lebanese immigrants Mary (née Mouakad) and Peter Blatty. His father left home when William was six years old.

Blatty wrote The Exorcist in 1971, a story about a twelve-year-old girl being possessed by a powerful demon, that topped The New York Times bestseller list for 17 weeks and remained on the list for 57 consecutive weeks.The book sold more than 13 million copies in the United States alone. It was later adapted by himself and director William Friedkin into the film version. Blatty went on to win an Academy Award for his Exorcist screenplay, as well as Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Writing. It also became the first ever horror film to be nominated for the best picture Oscar. Blatty appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on January 17, 1974, when he discussed critical reviews and general public reaction to the film version of his novel.

In 1983, Blatty wrote Legion, a sequel to The Exorcist which later became the basis of the film The Exorcist III. At first he was unable to set up the production because he wanted to direct the film. Blatty's agent, Steve Jaffe, helped package the project with producer Carter DeHaven at Morgan Creek Productions. Blatty directed the film. He originally wanted the movie version to be titled Legion, but the film producers wanted it to be more closely linked to the original. The first sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), was disappointing both critically and commercially. Blatty had no involvement in this first sequel and his own follow-up ignored it entirely.

In 2011, The Exorcist was re-released as a 40th Anniversary Edition in paperback, hardcover and audiobook editions with differing cover artwork. This new, updated edition featured new and revised material: "The 40th Anniversary Edition of The Exorcist will have a touch of new material in it as part of an all-around polish of the dialogue and prose. First time around I never had the time (meaning the funds) to do a second draft, and this, finally, is it. With forty years to think about it, a few little changes were inevitable - plus one new character in a totally new very spooky scene. This is the version I would like to be remembered for." Tor/Forge have also re-published The Ninth Configuration[18] and Legion,[19] respectively, with new, updated cover artwork.

Blatty died of multiple myeloma on January 12, 2017, at a hospital in Bethesda, five days after his 89th birthday. Survivors include his wife, Julie Witbrodt Blatty; seven children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

To post a comment, you must register and login.