Seems like David Lynch is getting back at work with the mysterious new project we keep hearing about.
It’s been 3 years since Lynch’s “Twin Peaks: The Return” changed the TV landscape forever, but, more importantly, signaled the return of a true master. How could Lynch follow up an achievement as monstrous as ‘The Return’? Well, how about making another TV series.
A rumor back in March hinted that Lynch was partnering with Netflix for an upcoming limited series. No plot had been revealed, but there were rumblings of a possible “Mulholland Drive” spin-off and, even a continuation of “Twin Peaks: The Return.” There was also the exciting rumor that Lynch veterans Naomi Watts and Laura Dern both attended a meeting at Netflix headquarters for an undisclosed project.
If that wasn’t enough to whet your appetite, then how about a casting note from The Girlfriend Experience, adding more intrigue to the puzzle: “The lead of the new David Lynch film requires tasteful nudity. Actress with dark hair in their mid to late 20s.”
Back in February, there was a supposed insider on Reddit who had posted details about Lynch’s upcoming project, which was said to shoot in late spring, before the pandemic hit, under the working title of “Wisteria.” The rumor had Netflix greenlighting 13 hour-long episodes and a budget of $85 million. The mini-series may or may not be a set of hour-long movies, it was never confirmed, but the Production Weekly notes posted today do have the working title listed as “Wisteria.” The listing also states that production is due to begin in May 2021 and that it’ll be filming in The Calvert Studios. Lynch is listed as the writer/director for the project.
Lynch confirmed last month that if it weren’t for the pandemic, he’d likely be in the middle of production on a new project. “I am in isolation. I love isolation. I’m not able to make films, but I’m able to paint and work on sculpture and work on my YouTube channel. It’s pretty great. I really kind of like isolation,” the director in a new conversation with PCS Literary Magazine. He then adds, if it weren’t for the current state of the world, “I’d be probably making a film or continuing a story.”
While he didn’t reveal any additional details, the usually tight-lipped Lynch revealing that he was going to shoot a new movie if it weren’t for the pandemic is more than enough for his unadorned followers to realize that something is more definitely brewing in Lynchland.
There is, of course, a reason to be cautiously optimistic as Lynch has been known to abandon projects on the whim. However, after having complained about how hard it is to make a movie in the age of Marvel and Disney, the creative freedoms that Netflix tends to offer high-caliber directors could be too enticing an offer for Lynch to refuse.