Some details from the book were left out of the movie: Fr Lankester Merrin, the eponymous Exorcist, is at an archaeological excavation for the ancient deities and artifacts from Mesopotamia (now Iraq) at the beginning; and he uncovers two ancient statues dedicated to the Mesopotamian demon god Pazuzu. It is implied that he and the archaeologists might have inadvertently unleashed or resurrected Pazuzu during this dig. Director William Friedkin claimed that Merrin finding a demon idol is simply a bad omen, announcing to Merrin that the demon will strike again soon. It is also made clear in the book that Regan's use of the Ouija Board is how Pazuzu found her in the first place, and how he gained entry into her world (as Captain Howdy). Also, the book makes it more obvious that it was Regan who likely desecrated the church at the beginning, as they find remnants of the clay that was used to make the decorations in the MacNeil's basement and in her room. The book also explicitly states that the demon is Pazuzu, which is why the prologue is in Iraq, or ancient Mesopotamia, where the demon god was worshiped. In the first Exorcist film, they just keep calling him "the devil"; it's not until the sequel that they refer to him as Pazuzu. Pazuzu is an actual ancient Mesopotamian deity; William Peter Blatty did not make this up.

Film

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