William Friedkin, Director of The Exorcist and The French Connection, Passes Away

Variety reports that William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist and The French Connection, has passed away at the age of 87. Chapman University dean Stephen Galloway, a friend of Friedkin’s wife Sherry Lansing, confirmed the news. He is survived by Lansing and his two sons.

Friedkin had two films that were nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards but only one of them won – The French Connection, a crime thriller starring Gene Hackman, picked up the honor in 1972. The film was nominated for eight Oscars and ultimately won five, including Friedkin’s only win for Best Director.

However, it was his follow-up film that had the most impact. While Friedkin himself has denied that The Exorcist is a horror film, its impact on the genre cannot be understated. Fifty years later, every movie about demonic possession and even some that aren’t owe something to the film, based on the novel by William Peter Blatty. The film was said to be so scary at the time of its release that people passed out in the theater. Very few horror films have captured the public’s attention in the way that this one did. It was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director and ultimately won two (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound).

Friedkin went onto direct several other notable films, including the controversial Cruising, To Live and Die in LA, Rules of Engagement and The Hunted. He would also return to the horror genre with 1990’s The Guardian and 2006’s Bug. His most recent work, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, is set to debut at the Venice Film Festival.

411 would like to give our condolences to his family, friends and fans.