The Ninth Configuration

The Ninth Configuration
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	William Peter Blatty
Screenplay by	William Peter Blatty
Based on	The Ninth Configuration by William Peter Blatty
Produced by	William Peter Blatty
Starring	Stacy Keach Scott Wilson Jason Miller Ed Flanders Neville Brand George DiCenzo Moses Gunn
Cinematography	Gerry Fisher
Edited by	Battle Davis Tony de Zarraga Peter Lee-Thompson Roberto Silvi
Music by	Barry De Vorzon
Production company	The Ninth Configuration Company
Distributed by	Warner Bros. United Film Distribution Company
Release date	February 29, 1980 (1980-02-29)
Running time	118 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.5 million[1]

The Ninth Configuration (also known as Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane) is a 1980 American psychological drama film^[2] written, produced, and directed by William Peter Blatty, in his directorial debut. It is the second installment in Blatty's "Trilogy of Faith" after The Exorcist (1973), and followed by The Exorcist III (1990). The film is based on Blatty's 1978 novel The Ninth Configuration, which was itself a reworking of his 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! The initial 1966 publication of the novel featured an exclamation mark at the end of the title, while all subsequent publications saw it removed.

The first half of the film has the predominant tone and style of a comic farce. In the second half, the film becomes darker as it delves deeper into its central issues of human suffering, sacrifice and faith. The film also frequently blurs the line between the sane and insane. The film received positive reviews from critics, and was recognized with the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and two other nominations at the 38th Golden Globe Awards.