William Friedkin, the Oscar-winning director of 1970s cinematic classics “The Exorcist” and “The French Connection,” has died in Los Angeles. He was 87.

The legendary filmmaker’s passing was confirmed by his wife, former producer and Paramount Pictures studio head Sherry Lansing.

Friedkin also helmed the groundbreaking gay-themed drama “The Boys in the Band,” as well as boundary-pushing films such as “Cruising,””Sorcerer, “To Live and Die in L.A.,” “Bug” and “Rules of Engagement,” among othersl.

He was part of the acclaimed generation of ’70s filmmakers who virtually reinvented the traditional Hollywood studio system with rule-breaking, genre-defying projects that challenged the studio status quo.

Several of its members — — which included Francis Ford Coppola and the late Peter Bogdanovich — joined forces to create The Directors Company in an attempt to retain their individualistic independence, but infighting quickly led to its dissolution, not long after they had collectively turned down the George Lucas blockbuster “Star Wars” in 1976, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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