“The Exorcist – A Version You’ve Never Seen” Website Offers Unprecedented Access To Filmmakers

(August 16, 2000 – Burbank, CA) – William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty, the director and writer of the groundbreaking Warner Bros. Pictures classic, "The Exorcist," will answer the public’s questions for the first time at the film’s website http://theexorcist.net [2] AOL Keyword: theexorcist. The 1973 film, which created a sensation, broke records and was nominated for ten Academy Awards, is being re-released in a new version with an additional eleven minutes and a new digital soundtrack on September 22, 2000 in approximately 650 theatres throughout North America. The film’s website, a multimedia experience that includes original interviews, trailers, never-before-seen images and production information, will now feature the new question-and-answer message board with Friedkin and Blatty personally responding up to and beyond the film’s release date. The site also features the eerie Captain Howdy ouija board from the film as well as a “True Stories” section that details anecdotes about the making of the movie. Written by William Peter Blatty, based on his #1 best-selling novel, "The Exorcist" featured an acclaimed cast that included Ellen Burstyn, Linda Blair and Jason Miller (all of whom were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances), Max von Sydow and Lee J. Cobb. The film was an enormous hit, both critically and at the box office, grossing upwards of $150 million in the U. S., making it at the time the second-biggest moneymaker in film history, behind "The Godfather" (1972). The film won the Golden Globe for Best Film (Drama) and received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Director for Friedkin, his second after winning for "The French Connection," and Best Adapted Screenplay with Blatty winning the award. # # #