‘Exorcist’ Creators Sue Warner Bros.

The creators of 1973 horror classic film “The Exorcist” sued Warner Bros. on Tuesday, saying the studio has shortchanged them.

William Friedkin, the film’s director, and producer William Peter Blatty, who wrote the best-selling novel and the screenplay, say Warner has been understating revenue from the original film since 1998. Also, the suit says the studio overstated fees and marketing costs for last year’s release of “The Exorcist--The Version You’ve Never Seen,” which contains an additional 11 minutes of footage.

The pair contend the studio charged its sister cable networks cut-rate fees to keep more of the profits within AOL Time Warner Inc.

The lawsuit, which also names Turner Network Television and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. as defendants, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. It alleges that Warner charged TNT a $110,000 licensing fee for “The Exorcist,” the same fee it charged for less-successful films such as “Cleopatra Jones” and “The Incredible Mr. Limpet.”

Last year’s reissued “Exorcist” earned $40 million domestically and $110 million in worldwide theater distribution. Warner charged Viacom-owned CBS $1.5 million to broadcast that film. The original movie commanded $10 million for its television debut.

A Warner spokeswoman dismissed the allegations as “ludicrous.”