 Stanley Kubrick (qv) wanted to direct the film, but only if he  could produce it himself. As the studio was worried that he would go  over budget and over schedule, they eventually settled on  Mark Rydell (qv), but Blatty insisted on William Friedkin (qv)  instead. After a standoff with the studio, who initially refused to  budge over Rydell, Blatty eventually got his way.