David Lynch Spotted At Netflix Office, Sparking Rumors Of New Movie
Recently rumors on Reddit indicated filmmaker David Lynch may be casting a new movie. The validity of such an online rumor is of course not something one should place any bets on.
However, not long after the rumor began, writer and artist Mark Tatulli posted a picture to social media claiming to have spotted David Lynch while at Netflix offices, according to The Film Stage.
Of course, the first potential project to jump to people’s minds is probably Twin Peaks season four, or a new Twin Peaks movie. Twin Peaks: The Return ended just over a year ago and left on what some consider to be a cliffhanger, while others consider it to be the end of the story. Like most of Lynch’s work, it’s defined by being open to interpretation. Or is it?
However, it’s unclear what the legal status of such a venture would be, as Showtime was the network in charge of bringing Twin Peaks: The Return back to television. There could well be contractual obligations to deliver any such material exclusively to Showtime. Showtime is currently campaigning to get Twin Peaks some recognition at the upcoming Emmy Awards ceremony. While the CEO of Showtime did indicate the project was conceived as a one-off, nothing was stated about specific ownership rights or possible legal waiting periods if Lynch were moving forward without Showtime.
It’s worth noting that Lynch also stated, if he ever were to undertake another season of Twin Peaks, it would likely take approximately five years to complete. Moreover, while Twin Peaks: The Return was an overwhelming critical success, it’s success in terms of ratings are fairly muddled, but indications point toward the lower end of things.
On the other end of the spectrum, Lynch recently released his memoir. A book titled Room To Dream, which mentions a potential new movie he was previously unable to find funding for. In the newly released memoir, the film is described as top-tier Lynch work.
“Set mostly in Los Angeles, Antelope Don’t Run No More braids threads from Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire into a narrative fantasia that incorporates space aliens, talking animals, and a beleaguered musician named Pinky; it’s impressed everyone who’s read it as one of the best scripts Lynch has ever written.”
Will audiences eventually see this potential hidden treasure? Contributor to The Film Stage C.J. Prince is theorizing that it’s likely, according to his Twitter account.
My theory: Netflix is producing a new David Lynch film, which they will then use as retaliation against Cannes for blocking their films from competing. Come May 2019 they'll dangle new Scorsese and Lynch films in front of Fremaux and watch him squirm.
— C.J. Prince (@cj_prin) July 1, 2018
The Cannes Film Festival has blocked Netflix from competing in the past but certainly loves David Lynch. So, if Netflix has David Lynch on lockdown for an exclusive movie deal, there’s almost no doubt the prestigious, competitive film festival, and distributors of the heavily coveted Palme d’Or would have to at least reconsider their position.
Netflix would have but one potential hurdle, while getting into Cannes 2019 is almost certainly an impossibility, David Lynch is a notoriously slow filmmaker, preferring to take his time and get details perfect. If Netflix is hoping David Lynch is a road to the Cannes Film Festival, which he may well be, this would likely be taking the scenic route behind a school bus, not the expressway. Cannes 2020 would be their best hope, while Cannes 2021 would probably be more realistic.
David Lynch won the Palme d’Or in 1990 for Wild At Heart and received a standing ovation at Cannes in 2017 for the first two episodes of Twin Peaks: The Return.
That said, it should be pointed out that as of the time of this report, these are still rumors. No official comment has been made by either David Lynch or Netflix.
