David Lynch Can No Longer Direct in Person Due to Emphysema

Twin Peaks maestro David Lynch says he is no longer able to direct projects in person due to his suffering from emphysema.

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In a recent interview with Sight & Sound , the auteur said that he got the disease from “smoking for so long, and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”

He continued: “Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me. It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it, and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and having a smoke and looking at your work, or thinking about things. Nothing like it in this world is so beautiful. Meanwhile, it’s killing me. So I had to quit.”

Due to his illness, future directorial projects are understandably up in the air, though could possibly be done remotely from home. “I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it,” he said.

The director also said that he recently pitched an animated project to Netflix called Snootworld , but the streamer wound up passing. He still hopes to make his unproduced 2010 screenplay Antelope Don’t Run No More .

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*UPDATE* : Lynch took to X Monday evening to respond to the internet’s concerns over his health.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking,” he wrote. “I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco — the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them — but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is emphysema. I have now quit smoking for over two years. Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema. I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire. I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern. Love, David.”

Lynch’s last major project was the 2017 Showtime revival Twin Peaks: The Return . The cast featured the return of several actors from the original series (including Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Madchen Amick, Sheryl Lee and David Duchovny) as well as a staggering amount of new faces (including Enlightened ‘s Laura Dern, Arrested Development ‘s Michael Cera, The Thorn Birds ‘ Richard Chamberlain, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Gossip Girl ‘s Jessica Szohr).

Thoughts on Lynch’s legacy? Do you hope to see him direct once again? Sound off in the comments.

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