The Exorcist director William Friedkin has passed away

Los Angeles, California - William Friedkin, the groundbreaking director of The Exorcist and The French Connection, died on Monday at the age of 87.

William Friedkin, the director behind classic films such as The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died at the age of 87.
William Friedkin, the director behind classic films such as The French Connection and The Exorcist, has died at the age of 87.  © REUTERS

Friedkin passed away in Los Angeles after suffering unspecified health issues in recent years, Stephen Galloway, a former Hollywood Reporter executive editor told AFP.

"He died this morning," Galloway confirmed after speaking with Friedkin's wife.

The director had "been working until a few weeks ago," but "had been in declining health," he added.

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Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro led the tributes on Monday, calling Friedkin "one of the Gods of Cinema."

"Cinema has lost a true Scholar and I have lost a dear, loyal and true friend," he wrote on social media.

Fellow horror director Eli Roth posted a tribute on Instagram to "one of the most impactful directors of all time" who "set the course of my life in a different direction."

Actor Elijah Wood described Friedkin as "a true cinematic master whose influence will continue to extend forever."

From the French Connection to The Exorcist

Friedkin was part of a new wave of American film directors dubbed New Hollywood.
Friedkin was part of a new wave of American film directors dubbed New Hollywood.  © MYCHELE DANIAU / AFP

Friedkin was among a crop of influential young "New Hollywood" directors in the 1970s who fundamentally reshaped the US film industry, upsetting a long-established system in which powerful studio producers had reigned supreme.

Alongside fellow auteurs such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, Friedkin exploded onto the Hollywood scene in 1971 with the gritty cop drama The French Connection.

It won five Oscars, including for best director and best picture.

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Friedkin followed that up with the horror classic The Exorcist, in 1973. It was a huge commercial and critical hit, as well as being deeply controversial.

The shocking film about a 12-year-old girl possessed by the devil was nominated for 10 Oscars, winning two, and grossed an eventual $440 million.

Friedkin's final film to be released this year

Friedkin, who has a star on Hollywood Boulevard, directed until the very end.
Friedkin, who has a star on Hollywood Boulevard, directed until the very end.  © VALERIE MACON / AFP

Following that stratospheric success, Friedkin's career went into sharp decline.

He released Sorcerer in 1977 – a hugely expensive flop in its time, although fans such as bestselling horror author Stephen King praised the film in tributes Monday.

"Very sorry to hear of the passing of William Friedkin, a deeply talented filmmaker," King wrote. "THE EXORCIST is great, but for me the real classic was SORCERER."

Friedkin continued directing well into his 80s.

His final film, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, starring Kiefer Sutherland, is set to premiere at this year's Venice Film Festival.

Friedkin, who was once married to French actress Jeanne Moreau, is survived by his fourth wife, Sherry Lansing – a former Paramount Pictures studio chief – and two sons.

Cover photo: REUTERS

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