There are a lot of positives about the modern Hollywood landscape, but there are also some very brutal truths to it. Most studios are primarily interested in verybankable franchisesor things that they know will provide them a huge return at the box office. That has made it hard for some filmmakers to get the type of movies they want to make going. This has led legendary director David Lynch to announce that he is officially done directing movies.
The writer/director recently spoke withThe Sydney Morning Herladand, since he hasn’t directed a movie in a while, he was asked if he is ever planning on making one again. While he was reportedly uncertain at first, he definitively said “Yes, it is,” when asked ifInland Empirewas indeed his last movie. David Lynch did provide some reason for his unceremonious retirement fromdirecting movies, though. Here’s what he had to say.
“Things changed a lot. So many films were not doing well at the box office even though they might have been great films and the things that were doing well at the box office weren’t the things that I would want to do.”
This may be a bummer tocinephiles, but it also may not be the most surprising thing to hear.David Lynchhasn’t directed a movie since 2006’sInland Empiremore than a decade ago, so it isn’t as though that element of his career is booming. That isn’t to say that the man hasn’t kept busy, because he most definitely has, but he just hasn’t managed to find himself in the director’s chair for a movie. Given the current landscape, that also isn’t all that surprising. David Lynch was never a huge box office draw, but he is an incredibly influential and beloved filmmaker.
Even if David Lynch is true to his word and doesn’t wind up directing another movie, his legacy is already cemented and will go down as one of the more memorableauteur filmmakersof all time. From 1977 to 2001, before his alleged last movieInland Empire, Lynch directedEraserhead,The Elephant Man,Dune,Blue Velvet,Wild At Heart,Twin Peaks: Fire Walk Me With Me,Lost Highway,The Straight StoryandMulholland Drive. Nearly every one of those movies are classics in their own right, in some way.Duneis famous for taking a pretty big swing, even if it was a bit of a miss in the eyes of many. But movies likeBlue VelvetandMulholland Driveare true, timeless classics that are among the best movies made in their respective decades.
Though David Lynch seems fairly certain he won’t be directing any more movies, there is no need to worry. He is still going to be leaving his mark on the world of entertainment. Most notably, the upcoming revival ofTwin Peaksis very much his baby. He directed all 18 episodes and co-wrote all of them with Mark Frost. At one point, he and Showtime had something of a disagreement and he walked away from the project. That prompted many of the cast members to stand in solidarity with David Lynch, saying that there is noTwin Peakswithout him. That speaks to the level of talent he has and the level of respect others have for him. So those still looking for some David Lynch goodness can tune into Showtime for theTwin Peaksrevival on May 21.
