William Friedkin was one of the leading names renowned for his involvement as one of the New Hollywood school of filmmakers. The director who is known for his works in horror and thriller genres has unfortunately breathed his last at the age of 87. Friedkin is still considered one of the best of his times and is the mastermind behind one of the landmark horror The Exorcist.
The Exorcist is known for paving a new direction for the horror genre. The 1973 film was a standout hit and is still considered one of the best horror flicks. It is also known for garnering a massive 10 Oscar-nominations with two wins which is a rare feat for any horror flick.
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How did William Friedkin enter the world of Hollywood?
It was first reported by Variety that William Friedkin passed away on August 7 at the age of 87 in Los Angeles. The Chicago-born director was one of those rare filmmakers who never hesitated to take risks. He has been a significant part of television and his experience in making documentaries had a large contribution to his filmmaking career.
William Friedkin’s entry into Hollywood hasn’t been great as his first movie Good Times was a forgettable venture and was a huge financial loss. Although the reviews deemed the movie to be very poor, William Friedkin claimed that he had a lot of fun while making the project- “I’ve made better films than Good Times but I’ve never had so much fun”.
The woes didn’t end soon as his next The Birthday Party also went on to become a financial disappointment. The film was based on Harold Pinter’s play by the same name and similar to Friedkin’s last venture, the late director also praised this movie and admitted that he was proud of it. Following that William Friedkin’s The Boys in the Band turned out to be a critically praised movie.
But ultimate success in the form of The French Connection. It not only turned out to be a Box Office hit but also earned Friedkin his first Oscar for Best Director. Soon after being named as one of the best of that era, he found success with The Exorcist which bagged a massive $441 Million. According to a report by The Guardian, it was found that William Friedkin’s movie earned around $1.7 Billion when adjusted for inflation.
The Exorcist was a massive success
The stories about the filming of The Exorcist are still discussed among ardent horror of fans. It is very unfortunate how many people lost their lives or their loved ones and were even left injured during the production of the movie. Although it is debatable if the running stories about The Curse are true or if the incidents are nothing but hoaxes, the filming took over 200 days.
The movie was nominated for 10 Oscars out of which it won two for Best Screenplay and Best Sound. On the other hand, William Friedkin won the Golden Globe for his outstanding direction of the horror flick.
After The Exorcist, the director made Sorcerer which was inspired by the 1953 French thriller The Wages of Fear. Interestingly, Friedkin’s film failed to earn large box office records but was later acknowledged as a cult classic. Then the director made projects like The Brink’s Job, Cruising, To Live and Die in L.A., a television adaptation of 12 Angry Men, and many other projects.
William Friedkin who is survived by his fourth wife Sherry Lansing and two sons is also yet to release his last movie titled The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial which is set to be featured in this year’s Venice International Film Festival. The director who was influenced by Citizen Kane to know more about the art has left a permanent mark among Cinema Lovers and his contribution to movies will always be remembered.
Rest in Peace, William Friedkin.
Source: Variety
