The Exorcist is an American horror media franchise that originated with William Peter Blatty's 1971 horror novel of the same name (itself inspired by the 1949 exorcism of Roland Doe) and most prominently featured in a 1973 film adaptation of the novel, and many subsequent prequels and sequels. All of these installments focus on fictional accounts of people possessed by Pazuzu, the main antagonist of the series, and the efforts of religious authorities to counter this possession.
