The Exorcist III is a 1990 American psychological horror film directed by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1983 novel Legion.
This is the third installment in the "Exorcist" film series. The film stars George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Jason Miller, Scott Wilson, Nicole Williamson and Brad Dourif.
The Exorcist III is a direct sequel to The Exorcist (1973), ignoring the events of The Exorcist II: Heretic (1977).
The film tells the story of Lieutenant William F. Kinderman, a character from the original film, who investigates a series of demonic murders in Georgetown that bear the hallmarks of the deceased serial killer Gemini.
Blatty based aspects of "Gemini Ki1l3r" on the real-life Zodiac, one of several serial killers who enjoyed the original "The Exorcist".
Blatty wrote the 1971 novel "The Exorcist", adapted the screenplay for the 1973 film and conceived "Exorcist III" under the direction of "The Exorcist" director William Friedkin.
When Friedkin left the project, Blatty adapted the script into the novel Legion.
The film rights were acquired by Morgan Creek Productions, with Blatty as director.
To Blatty's dismay, Morgan's Creek requested major last-minute changes, including the addition of an exorcism sequence to the climax.
While some of the original footage appears to have been permanently lost, Scream Factory released a director's cut in 2016 that was closer to Blatty's vision, with footage drawn from a variety of sources.
The Exorcist III was released in the United States on 17 August 1990 by 20th Century Fox.
The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $44 million at the domestic box office against a production budget of $11 million.
