David Lynch’s Lost Netflix Masterpiece Revealed

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As per Netflix’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, renowned filmmaker David Lynch had been developing a fresh, limited series for our streaming platform before his untimely passing this past weekend.

In a heartfelt social media tribute, Sarandos reminisced about his long-standing relationship with Lynch – from their initial encounter when Netflix was primarily a DVD rental service, all the way up to their latest interaction. He also mentioned a creative project that Lynch had presented to them some time ago.

During the early stages of my tenure at Netflix, when we were primarily delivering DVDs across the U.S., I encountered an unforgettable moment: I met one of my all-time favorite filmmakers at his residence.

In our attempt to collect every movie on DVD, unfortunately “Eraserhead,” one of my preferred films, wasn’t commercially accessible. I contacted David about this issue and we scheduled a meeting. During that meeting at his dining table, we came to an agreement where I would buy a large quantity of “Eraserhead” DVDs, and Netflix would create a DVD collection of all of his innovative short films based on his visionary work.

Following our decision to move forward with something, David escorted me around his house and showed me his artwork. Subsequently, he proposed a glance at an early version of his upcoming movie. I presumed he meant specific scenes, but instead, he led me to his cinema room and screened a near-3 hour cut of “Mulholland Drive.” Although I hadn’t anticipated staying the whole day, I was captivated by the experience of being in David Lynch’s residence and private screening room, watching his unpublished new film. Roughly 2 hours into it, I noticed he had left. I continued to watch the movie and departed afterwards.

After our brief interactions post that point, David approached Netflix with a concept for a limited series years later, and we eagerly embraced the opportunity. Given its David Lynch production, the project was shrouded in enigma and daring elements, but we relished the chance to collaborate with such a creative genius. However, first came the pandemic, followed by some health concerns that prevented the project from materializing. Still, we made it known that as soon as he regained his health, we were all prepared to commit fully.

The most recent chat I had with David was just as exhilarating as our initial one. He dropped by my place accompanied by my friend and his creative inspiration, Laura Dern. We engaged in an extended, fascinating discussion covering various topics such as projects, films, life, art, and the unique charm of my windows – he was particularly fond of them.

As a cinephile, I’ve always admired David Lynch – an uncompromising mastermind who relished in the enigma of his work. He didn’t strive to make it easy for audiences to grasp; instead, he reveled in the journey we shared together. His body of work is nothing short of extraordinary, visionary, daring, and artistic.

I can’t help but ponder what incredible mystery awaited us with his final project, had it ever come to fruition.

In this post, Sarandos disclosed that Lynch had proposed a project to Netflix just before his demise. Although the project was temporarily shelved due to COVID-19 and health concerns, Sarandos emphasized Netflix’s excitement to work with Lynch as soon as he recovered, using the phrase “we’re all in.” This disclosure gives a poignant twist to the esteemed director’s legacy, causing fans to ponder what might have transpired if the project had been completed.

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2025-01-21 16:00