R.I.P. “The Exorcist” Writer William Peter Blatty

Best known for creating The Exorcist (for which he wrote the original novel as well as the screenplay for William Friedkin‘s film adaptation), writer and director William Peter Blatty has died at the age of 89. Although primarily known as a novelist, he crafted the screenplays for a diverse array of motion pictures, including The Great Bank Robbery,Darling Lili, and A Shot in the Dark (which he co-wrote), and he was also the writer and director of The Ninth Configuration and The Exorcist III. His impact upon the horror genre continues to this day — a television version of The Exorcist currently airs on Fox, and while Blatty may have passed his works will enchant generations to come.