Wicked Horror is sad to report that William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist, has passed away at the age of 89. The writer died Thursday in Bethesda, MD. His wife Julie Blatty has reported that the cause of death was multiple myeloma.
Prior to penning The Exorcist, Blatty had worked regularly in Hollywood as a writer of more lighthearted fare, particularly comedy. However, after the success of The Exorcist, there was no demand for Blatty to write comedy. He sometimes expressed that he felt pigeonholed as a writer of theological horror after the success of his novel and subsequent adaptation for the feature film.
Blatty’s legacy will live on for years to come through his body of work. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.
