Was David Lynch about to make a Netflix Series? CEO Ted Sarandos reveals details

Marking an end to his exemplary career as an auteur filmmaker, David Lynch recently passed away on January 15, 2025. David Lynch was seventy-eight years old at the time of his passing. Following the Mulholland Drive director's death, homages and respects have poured in from every corner of the film industry both in the country and worldwide. Joining them is Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, who recently took to his Instagram profile to share a heartfelt tribute to the late filmmaker.

According to an Instagram post by Ted Sarandos, David Lynch had once approached the streaming platform giant to produce and distribute a limited series as a Netflix original. It is needless to say Netflix stood to gain a lot from the unique artistic vision of David Lynch and therefore Sarandos was greatly interested. Unfortunately, the project failed to take off after being delayed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent complications. According to Sarandos:

"He (David Lynch) came into Netflix to pitch a limited series which we jumped at. 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."

Here's everything that we know.

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The David Lynch - Netflix collaboration that didn't materialize

Although not many details are known about the original limited series that David Lynch had pitched to Netflix, it can be surmised that it would consist of the usual Lynchian trademark of the uncanny and the sublime.

Lynch was speculated to be developing a Netflix project in the years leading up to his death. Back in November 2020, an issue of Production Weekly (which often contains inaccurate information about upcoming film projects) featured a Lynchian limited series titled "Wisteria."

That title was later revealed to be a secret name assigned to the project by Netflix, and it was also known as "Unrecorded Night." According to the advertising, Lynch had intended to write and direct thirteen episodes of the series alongside his Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive cinematographer, Peter Deming.

In an interview in November 2021, Peter Deming revealed that the project had been paused owing to the COVID epidemic, but that he was "assuming it will come back to life at some point." In May 2024, Lynch's longtime producer Sabrina Sutherland stated in a Q&A that "there's always a chance" Lynch may return to the limited series, but he had been "enjoying his artwork and music endeavors."

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Ted Sarandos' nostalgic early connection with Lynch

In the same Instagram post in which he spoke about the Lynch and Netflix collaboration that didn't materialize, Sarandos also revealed the circumstances of his first meeting with the famous filmmaker back in the days when Netflix was still a DVD-only service. He stated:

"We tried to stock every movie on DVD, but one of my favorite movies, “Eraserhead,” was not commercially available. I reached out to David and asked for a meeting and at his dining room table we agreed to a bulk buy of “Eraserhead” and for Netflix to produce a DVD of all of his visionary short films. After we agreed to make this happen, David gave me a tour of the house and his art."

David Lynch is best remembered for his films Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, and the TV show Twin Peaks.