Novelist and filmmaker William Peter Blatty, the author of The Exorcist and the writer of its Oscar-winning film adaption, has died aged 89 from a form of blood cancer.
"RIP William Peter Blatty, who wrote the great horror novel of our time," Stephen King tweeted Friday. "So long, Old Bill."
Blatty published The Exorcist in 1971, inspired by a suburban incident he had read about while in college.
His story about a 12-year-old-girl possessed by a Satanic force sent chills down readers' spines and captured the public's imagination.
It spent more than a year on The New York Times fiction best-seller list and went on to sell more than 10 million copies.
He also wrote the movie adaption, which came out two years later.
The R-rated movie sparked fainting, vomiting, and epileptic fits among audience members - and was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning best adapted screenplay and best sound.
Newshub.