David Lynch Says He Can No Longer Leave His House Due To Health, Complicating Future As Director

In a new interview with Sight & Sound magazine, 4x Oscar nominated filmmaker David Lynch revealed that due to Covid fears and his emphysema diagnosis, he can no longer leave the house. This means if he directs again, he’ll need to be remote.

“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. It would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold,” he said, adding that he “can only walk a short distance before” he’s “out of oxygen.”

Says Lynch about directing with his health condition: “I would do it remotely if it comes to it…I wouldn’t like that so much.”

Lynch also provided updates on myriad projects that have yet to get off the ground. While there have been several shorts and videos that Lynch has helmed in recent years, the last major opus from him was the 2017 reboot of Twin Peaks on Showtime, which consisted of 18 episodes, and several notable stars including Laura Dern, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tom Sizemore including the original cast of Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Dana Ashbrook among others.

In regards to his 2010 screenplay Antelope Don’t Run No More, the fimmaker said: “Well, we don’t know what the future will bring, but we remain hopeful.”

Lynch said he recently pitched Netflix on his animated project Snootworld, which he began working on two decades ago with Caroline Thompson (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands), however, the streamer turned him down.

“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,” he added.

The director’s last feature film was 2006’s Inland Empire. He announced a new film project in 2017, which turned up as the Netflix short What Did Jack Do?.

Following Twin Peaks, Showtime expressed enthusiasm for more; that series earning nine Primetime Emmys noms. Lynch hasn’t closed the door on a fourth season, telling Sight & Sound, “I’ve learned never say never.”