Legendary directorDavid Lynchis unlikely to return to the director’s chair again. In a new career retrospective interview withSight & Soundmagazine for their September cover story, viaThe Independent, theEraserheadandMulholland Drivehelmer revealed that he had recently been diagnosed with emphysema, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after years of smoking. He’s now unable to leave his house amid fears of catching COVID-19, as his condition causes shortness of breath and leaves him more vulnerable to severe symptoms if he gets sick.
“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long, and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not,” he said in the interview. “It would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold.” He added that he “can only walk a short distance before” he’s “out of oxygen.” Any future projects of his would have to be handled off-site. “I would do it remotely if it comes to it,” he continued, though he also admitted “I wouldn’t like that so much,” indicating that chances are slim that he’ll be stepping behind the camera once again. His last feature film, the experimental psychological thrillerInland Empire, came out in 2006, though he’s since continued working on music videos and other content, includingthe 2017 return toTwin Peaks.
Despite the situation, Lynch is still hopeful that a few of his lingering projects will get made. Further in the interview, he expressed optimism about the potential of his 2010 screenplayAntelope Don’t Run No Morecoming to screens, adding “Well, we don’t know what the future will bring, but we remain hopeful.” He’s also made a push in recent months to find a taker for his “wacky” animated filmSnootworldwithThe Nightmare Before ChristmaswriterCaroline Thompson, though,as he detailed back in April, those pursuits haven’t borne fruit. “Just recently, I thought someone might be interested in getting behind this, so I presented it to Netflix in the last few months, but they rejected it,” he said. “Old-fashioned fairy tales are considered groaners: apparently, people don’t want to see them. It’s a different world now, and it’s easier to say no than to say yes.”
Lynch Has an Incredible Track Record Behind the Camera
Although his body of feature-length work is smaller than other directors, Lynch made the most of his time on the big and small screens, earning four Oscar nominations and nine Emmy nominations while becoming one of the most influential filmmakers in American cinema. He received awards consideration for his black-and-white darlingsEraserheadandThe Elephant Man, as well asBlue Velvet, his 1986 neo-noir mystery film starringKyle MacLachlanandIsabella Rossellini. BeforeDenis Villeneuve’s successful two-part adaptation, Lynch also took on the world ofFrank Herbert’sDunewhich, while not particularly beloved, stillat least gets some praise for its uniqueness. In general, the director hasnever been afraid to get weirdwith his work, from musicals to experimental pieces, shorts, and more.
Perhaps his best-known work, however, remainsTwin Peaks, which he co-created withMark Frostand starred infor all three seasonsand in the movieTwin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.Following the reboot on Showtime in 2017, he said “I’ve learned never say never,” about the possibility of Season 4, though his diagnosis has likely ended all hopes of another return. The show’s impactcan still be felt to this day, given the wide range of projects it influenced, fromLosttoBates Moteland even video games likeThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningand theAlan Wakeseries.
The full interview with Lynch is available inSight & Sound’s new issue,which can be ordered here. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the future of the director’s career.
Twin Peaks
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
