Keeping up with the subset cult around whispering David Lynch rumors can be a little taxing and trying, but as we know, the filmmaker hasn’t released anything since the transformative “Twin Peaks: The Return” series in 2017. But as it turns out, there appear to be some truths to some of the rumors and speculation circulated over the last five years.
Most of it started when the “Blue Velvet” filmmaker was spotted in the offices at Netflix in 2018, presumably taking some meetings, and things subsequently snowballed. From there, trade magazine Production Weekly listed a project called “Wisteria,” set to begin production in May 2021, with longtime colleague Sabrina S. Sutherland onboard as a producer. Rumors grew that Lynch had a new project brewing with Laura Dern that would premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, which drove the media into a feeding frenzy, only to fizzle out when Lynch himself denied the rumors, and that seemed to be the end of all that.
However, in a new AMA chat, longtime producing partner Sabrina Sutherland revealed that “Wisteria,” also known as “Unrecorded Night,” which seems as if that actual title, was something that Lynch was planning on making with Netflix and it was canceled when the pandemic hit.
‘Unrecorded Night’ was a non-‘Twin Peaks’ series that was going to shoot at Netflix but was canceled when the pandemic hit,” Sutherland wrote in the AMA chat. “There’s always a chance we can pick it up again, but David has been enjoying his artwork and music endeavors, so we haven’t gone back to it yet.”
Sutherland even noted the film came close to the starting line. “Yes, we were in Pre-production and close to shooting.” Asked if there was a possibility of Lynch doing another project with Netflix, she wrote, “There’s always a possibility.”
This kind of track when you consider the timeline, too. Lynch himself seemingly alluded to all this, and six months into the 2021 pandemic, when asked what he would have been doing had he not been in isolation, the director said, “probably making a film” if it weren’t for COVID-19, though noted that he kind of loved isolation, so he was fine.
Lynch apparently had discussions with Netflix about multiple projects, as it was recently revealed that the streamer passed on his animated project, “Snootland,” which he’s been trying to make for over two decades.
As for “Twin Peaks,” as Lynch has suggested in the past, Sutherland said the director does have more ideas for a potential fourth season, but nothing sounded concrete beyond that.
“I personally hope there will be more [‘Twin Peaks’],” she wrote. “As for the intention, I don’t know. I know that David has more ideas for another season, but I don’t know about Mark.”
As for what’s next Sutherland said music is currently pre-occupying the artist and she expects an album or two in the near future, but fans clamoring for a new film or series will likely have to wait for quite some time. Lynch is 78, but the producer said he is in good health.