Pazuzu (The Exorcist) to take complete control of her mind. However, with the aid of the priest Father Tomas and her family, Regan fights back against Pazuzu, regaining control of her mind, just as Father Tomas exorcises the demon from her body. William Peter Blatty's creations of Pazuzu and "The Exorcist" were based on a heavily reported series of 1949 events in St. Louis, Missouri concerning the possession of a 14-year-old known as "Robbie Mannheim" (or sometimes "Roland Doe"). Blatty, who was a student at Georgetown University, read about the story in Washington, D.C. newspapers and created "The Exorcist" twenty years later. In
The Exorcist III deceased serial killer. Blatty based aspects of the Gemini Killer on the real-life Zodiac Killer, one of several serial killers who enjoyed the original "Exorcist." Blatty, who wrote the original "Exorcist" novel (1971) and the screenplay for its 1973 film adaptation, conceived "The Exorcist III" with "Exorcist" director William Friedkin attached to direct. When Friedkin left the project, Blatty adapted the script into a bestselling novel, "Legion" (1983); Morgan Creek Productions bought the film rights, with Blatty as director. To Blatty's frustration, Morgan Creek demanded extensive last-minute changes, including the addition of an exorcism sequence for the climax. Though some