Netflix: David Lynch should have produced a series for the streaming platform

American director David Lynch, behind the films Mulholland Drive, Elephant Man or even Blue Velvetpassed away on January 15 at the age of 78. Many tributes have since appeared on the web and among the voices saluting the work of the filmmaker who also left his mark on the small screen with the series Twin Peaksthe co-president from NetflixTed Sarandos, mentioned that the late director had plans for a mini-series that should have seen the light of day on the N rouge streaming platform.

A project postponed by the pandemic

In a publication posted this weekend on InstagramSarandos explains that Lynch came to Netflix with an idea for a miniseries that they were immediately excited about.

“It was a David Lynch production, so full of mystery and risk but we wanted to embark on this creative adventure with this genius,” Sarandos explains.

However, the project was first shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic, then Lynch's health problems (who suffered from emphysema) continued to put a damper on its production. Sarandos adds, however, that Netflix had clearly indicated to the director that they were still willing to bring this mini-series to life as soon as the latter was able to put it together.

As indicated by our colleagues from Varietyrumors surrounding a Lynch project for Netflix circulated for several years before his death. In November 2020, Production Weekly also spoke about the imminent filming of a mini-series called Wisteria. This title was then only a code name given to the project which was also known under the title Unrecorded Night. A priori, Lynch had planned to write and direct 13 episodes of this mini-series with his director of photography on Lost Highway And Mulholland DrivePeter Deming.

The project Sarandos alluded to on Instagram could thus be this Unrecorded Night. The co-CEO ends his tribute by explaining that he will ask himself “always what [Lynch] had in mind for us with what would have been his last project.”

In May 2024, producer Sabrina Sutherland, Lynch's longtime collaborator, stated that there was “always a chance” that the director ended up devoting himself to this mini-series but that he was busy with “his artistic and musical efforts.” Indeed, Lynch was also a painter and musician and he also released his last album, Cellophane Memoriesin August 2024.

The American artist leaves behind an indelible mark on world cinema, and many orphaned fans. His disappearance is an opportunity to see the excellent documentary David Lynch, an enigma in Hollywood, available for free streaming on Arte.tvand on YouTube.

• Watch the documentary David Lynch, an enigma in Hollywood :