The Exorcist (novel) The Exorcist (novel) The Exorcist is a 1971 horror novel by American writer William Peter Blatty. The book details the demonic possession of twelve-year-old Regan MacNeil, the daughter of a famous actress, and the two priests who attempt to exorcise the demon. Published by Harper & Row, the novel was the basis of a highly successful film adaption released two years later, whose screenplay was also written and produced by Blatty, and part of "The Exorcist" franchise. The novel was inspired by a 1949 case of demonic possession and exorcism that Blatty heard about while he was a student 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