As you are probably well aware, David Lynch passed away recently at the age of 78. The filmmaker’s work is adored by fans of different generations, who love his unique style of storytelling. One of those fans, actually, is none other than Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix. And according to Sarandos, Netflix was working with Lynch on a new project before he died.
In a recent post on Instagram, Ted Sarandos talked about his love of David Lynch’s film and TV work, and he also spent some time to describe what it was like to meet the legendary filmmaker. This led to Sarandos talking about a project they were working on together that never came to be.
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“David and I only spoke on a few occasions after that but years later, he came into Netflix to pitch a limited series which we jumped at,” wrote Sarandos. “It was a David Lynch production, so filled with mystery and risks but we wanted to go on this creative ride with this genius. First Covid, then some health uncertainties lead to this project never being produced but we made it clear that as soon as he was able, we were all in.”
He added, “David Lynch was an unapologetic genius. He didn’t want you to understand his work. He knew that was impossible and it was part of the ride together. His body of work is remarkable, visionary, bold and artful. I will always wonder about what he had in mind for us with what would have been his last project.”
Unfortunately, we’ll never know what that project was that Lynch was working on. In the last few years of his life, there was a lot of rumored news about what the filmmaker was working on at the time. However, it was clear that COVID, then his declining health, was making things difficult.
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Lynch, of course, is best known for his work on films such as “The Elephant Man,” “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Mulholland Drive.” Perhaps his most beloved bit of work is none other than the “Twin Peaks” TV series. His last appearance in a film or TV show actually is in Steven Spielberg’s drama, “The Fabelmans.”
As mentioned, his health had been declining quite a bit in recent years, specifically stemming from his diagnosed severe emphysema. He was recently evacuated from his home due to the LA wildfires, and it is said that he passed away in his daughter’s home.