The horror film genre has just lost one of its greatest luminaries in history: William Friedkin. The director of The Exorcist, The Hunted, and Sorcerer has departed this world at the age of 87 due to natural causes, as reported by Variety.
In his wake, he not only leaves behind one of the finest horror gems of all time, but he will also be remembered for many other feature films in which he was involved both as a director and a screenwriter. In fact, Friedkin even won an Academy Award for Best Director for The French Connection (1971), a film that garnered five Oscars including Best Picture. It is currently available on Disney Plus.
The last farewell to William Friedkin will be given in Venice
Friedkin remained active until his passing, and the most compelling evidence of this is that there is still a film by the director that has yet to be released: Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. Starring Kiefer Sutherland, the movie is set to premiere at the upcoming Venice Film Festival, which begins on August 30th. In this way, the festival is expected to serve as a tribute to the entirety of the filmmaker’s career.
Other notable films in William Friedkin’s filmography include Sorcerer, Cruising, Killer Joe, and The Devil and Father Amorth. Undoubtedly, both in direction and screenwriting, he was an artist who never ceased to create, innovate, and explore new avenues in all aspects of his filmmaking. He opened countless doors for younger filmmakers to subsequently explore.
Amidst an ongoing strike by actors and screenwriters, scores of Hollywood figures have offered their condolences to Friedkin’s family and penned heartfelt words to pay tribute to one of the directors who left an indelible mark on 20th and 21st century cinema.
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