Before his tragic passing, legendary filmmaker David Lynch was reportedly in talks with Netflix to create a mysterious and high-stakes mini-series. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that he had personally approached Lynch with the project, describing it as a captivating blend of intrigue and risk.
Could this have been Lynch's next masterpiece? Fans are now left wondering what could have been. Dive into the details of the visionary director's final creative endeavor.
In a lengthy tribute shared on his personal Instagram account, Sarandos recounted meeting Lynch when Netflix was still a fledgling DVD rental company.
Sarandos wrote, 'In the early days of Netflix, when we were still shipping DVDs across the United States, I had the incredible experience of meeting one of my favorite filmmakers at his home. We were trying to stock every one of his films on DVD, but one of my favorites, Eraserhead, wasn’t available. I reached out to David and requested a meeting. At his dining table, we struck a deal for a bulk purchase of Eraserhead and for Netflix to release a DVD collection of his visionary short films. After making this decision, David showed me around his home and his artwork. He then asked if I wanted to take a look at the first cut of his next film. I thought he meant a few scenes. Instead, he took me to his screening room and showed me an almost three-hour-long cut of Mulholland Drive. I hadn’t planned to spend the entire day there, but I was thrilled to watch his unreleased film in his home and screening room. About two hours in, I realized David had left. I finished the film on my own and then quietly left his house.'
Sarandos continued, 'I only spoke with David a few more times after that initial meeting, but years later, he came to Netflix and pitched a miniseries. We immediately said yes. As with any David Lynch project, it was filled with mystery and risk, but we were eager to embark on that creative journey with the genius. Unfortunately, COVID and some health uncertainties meant the project was never produced. We made it clear to him that we were ready whenever he was able to proceed.'
'He came to my home with Laura Dern, my friend and his muse, and we had a long, wonderful conversation about projects, cinema, life, art, and my windows—he loved my windows. David Lynch was unapologetically brilliant. He didn’t want you to understand his work. He knew it was impossible, and that was part of the journey. His creations were extraordinary, visionary, bold, and artistic. I will always wonder what was in his mind for what could have been his final project.'
Following Lynch’s passing, many fans and collaborators, including Steven Spielberg, Kyle MacLachlan, Naomi Watts, Nicolas Cage, and Lara Flynn Boyle, paid tribute to the legendary filmmaker.