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David Lynch has made a promise about his film career after sharing concerning details about his health.
The director of films including Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive, who created (and appeared in) Twin Peaks, revealed earlier this week that he can no longer leave his house since being diagnosed with emphysema.
Speaking to Sight & Sound magazine, Lynch, 78, said he developed the condition due to smoking throughout his life and suggested it is unlikely he will direct again.
“I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not. It would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold,” he said, revealing that he “can only walk a short distance before [I’m] out of oxygen”.
It’s because of this that Lynch says, if he does direct another project, he will be unable to do so in person. However, while saying “I would do it remotely if it comes to it,” he added, “I wouldn’t like that so much.”
Lynch’s comments led to widespread concern among his fans – and Lynch addressed this in a follow-up post on Twitter/X on Tuesday, 6 August.
He wrote: “Ladies and Gentlemen, Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. 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.
Lynch assured his fans that, after undergoing many tests, “the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema”. He added: “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire. I want you all to know that I really appreciate your concern. Love, David.”
Emphysema, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is mainly caused by smoking, air pollution and exposure to dust and chemicals at work. The World Health Organisation has predicted it will become the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.
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Lynch’s last screen project was Twin Peaks: The Return, which arrived in 2017. It was so well received that the show’s network, Showtime, said it would be happy to make another season.
A project Lynch has struggled to get off the ground is an animation called Snootworld, which he began working on two decades ago with Caroline Thompson (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands).
“Just recently, I thought someone might be interested in getting behind this, so I presented it to Netflix in the last few months, but they rejected it,” he said.
“Old-fashioned fairy tales are considered groaners: apparently, people don’t want to see them. It’s a different world now, and it’s easier to say no than to say yes.”
The director’s last feature film was Inland Empire, which he released in 2006. He previously caused excitement in 2017 after announcing a new film project, which ended up being the Netflix short What Did Jack Do?.
Meanwhile, Showtime confirmed in 2018 it would make more episodes of Twin Peaks whenever Lynch was ready back in 2018.
“We’re thrilled we did Twin Peaks, absolutely thrilled,” programming president Gary Levine said on the Television Critics Association press tour.
“The work was extraordinary, the fan reaction was extraordinary,” he added. “I don’t know how soon he wants to do [more]. The door is always open to Mark [Frost] and David for Twin Peaks – or anything else they want to talk about.”
Speaking previously about returning for a fourth season of Twin Peaks, Lynch said: “I’ve learned never say never.”
However, the director added: “It’s too early to say if there will be a fourth season of the series.
“If that were the case, we would have to wait a few more years because it took me four and a half years to write and film this season.”
