William Peter Blatty

American screenwriter and novelist

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July 19, 2026

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William Peter Blatty was an American screenwriter and novelist, best known for his 1971 novel The Exorcist and its 1973 film adaptation. The novel and film chronicle the demonic possession of a young girl, Regan MacNeil, and the efforts of two Catholic priests to free her through an exorcism.12

Blatty wrote the screenplay for the film, which he also produced, earning an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The Exorcist is considered a landmark in the horror genre and is widely regarded as one of the most unsettling horror films ever made. The story draws loosely from accounts of a 1949 exorcism performed on a boy.12

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The Exorcist
…William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, who adapted the screenplay from his 1971 novel of the same name. The movie stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, and Lee J. Cobb. The story chronicles a single mother’s struggle to
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…William Friedkin and written by William Peter Blatty, who adapted the screenplay from his 1971 novel of the same name. The movie stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, and Lee J. Cobb. The story chronicles a single mother’s struggle to
Read More