Season 4? Or is it over after this? Wisteria/Unrecorded Night? Something else? (Speculation thread.)

[LateReg]

We Don't Live Here Anymore is a solid movie. Worth it for the performances.

[Stavrogyn]

Sounds interesting enough to me.

Anyway, I don't think Dern and Watts potentially working on something together for Netflix, but without Lynch, could mean that these rumors about a new project all of us are discussing so much are not true. Both of them could even still be involved in whatever Lynch is making.

I feel that at this point we all agree that there is a David Lynch project in the works? The only question is what is it. Right?

[eyeboogers]

I feel that at this point we all agree that there is a David Lynch project in the works? The only question is what is it. Right?

Right, because Lynch and Sutherland confirmed that they were supposed to be working on something - if not for the pandemic.

[Jonah]

I think "Unrecorded Night" is most likely a thing based on the copyright receipts (I lean towards it already having been either completely or at least somewhat scripted or in treatment stage, though it's also possible it's still just in concept stage). Based on Production Weekly, I think it's going ahead (though for all we know it's been abandoned) and Netflix appears to be the likely home.

A lot of circumstantial stuff such as comments in interviews and social media posts, some by the cast (some of which I listed out in a long-ish post on the previous page) could mean it's more TP but two things could make that less likely/point to it being an original work: Mark Frost denying involvement, and it being on Netflix (not Showtime). I attempted to weigh it all up in the previous aforementioned post, but I don't think we know enough yet, so it's still all just conjecture.

[Mr. Reindeer]

I think "Unrecorded Night" is most likely a thing based on copyright receipts (I lean towards it already having been either completely or at least somewhat scripted or in treatment stage, though it's also possible it's still just in concept stage. Based on Production Weekly, I think it's going ahead (though for all we know it's been abandoned) Netflix appears to be the likely home. A lot of circumstantial (some of which I listed out in a long-ish post on the previous page) points to it being more TP but two points could make that less likely and point to it being an original work: Mark Frost denying involvement and it being Netflix (not Showtime).

I assume the copyright was for scripts. You can’t copyright an idea; it needs to be something tangible. I suppose it might have just been treatments/summaries, but it strikes me as likely that there are completed scripts.

[Jonah]

I assume the copyright was for scripts. You can’t copyright an idea; it needs to be something tangible. I suppose it might have just been treatments/summaries, but it strikes me as likely that there are completed scripts.

I think so too but if Frost is not involved, and giving Lynch going script-free for "Inland Empire" and parts of "The Return", it's possible it's incomplete scripts/treatments/sketched out concepts with a cool title.

[Mr. Reindeer]

TR was scripted though, he just added/changed stuff along the way. And IE took three years to make; I doubt Netflix would sign off on a project where he shot scenes as the mood struck, especially if they have rented studio space and a crew waiting to shoot.

[Jonah]

If it was just Lynch writing it, I could see him expanding short treatments into an entire season of full-blown episodes/mini-movies, like he turned a few paragraphs into Episode 8.

If he has a co-writer, it might be fully scripted in longer form, maybe also even if it's just him writing but not sure how likely that is.

[Mr. Reindeer]

If it was just Lynch writing it, I could see him expanding short treatments into an entire season of full-blown episodes/mini-movies, like he turned a few paragraphs into Episode 8.

I agree with this. This is sort of how he made Eraserhead as well. He had an unconventional very short “script” and thumbnail storyboards that are incredibly scratchy and abstract, but the movie was mostly in his head. I doubt he’ll use a cowriter ever again, except possibly Mark. We shall see!

[Jonah]

He had an unconventional very short “script” and thumbnail storyboards that are incredibly scratchy and abstract, but the movie was mostly in his head.

I could definitely see something like that - maybe a few short treatments - being the case for "Unrecorded Night", though one long script wouldn't surprise me either.

[LateReg]

I think "Unrecorded Night" is most likely a thing based on copyright receipts (I lean towards it already having been either completely or at least somewhat scripted or in treatment stage, though it's also possible it's still just in concept stage. Based on Production Weekly, I think it's going ahead (though for all we know it's been abandoned) Netflix appears to be the likely home. A lot of circumstantial (some of which I listed out in a long-ish post on the previous page) points to it being more TP but two points could make that less likely and point to it being an original work: Mark Frost denying involvement and it being Netflix (not Showtime).

I assume the copyright was for scripts. You can’t copyright an idea; it needs to be something tangible. I suppose it might have just been treatments/summaries, but it strikes me as likely that there are completed scripts.

Production Weekly is the totally legit part. Again, I know eyeboogers may still be doubting their validity, but whatever is printed in Production Weekly I believe is verified information. So, Netflix. Peter Deming. And that philosopher lady being on board are all facts at this point. The various titles may be official or working titles. Beyond that, it's all guesswork. But those are, as far as my understanding, facts.

And, yeah, I don't think there's any reason not to be believe - more than three years on from the completion of the airing of The Return, one year after various rumors began circling, and a whole quarantined year in which Lynch was actually forced to stay home and work on art, and a few months after Lynch admitted that he would probably be working on a film or series if not for the pandemic - that the scripts are not in some stage of completion. IMO, there's no reason to doubt any of that.

[Jonah]

And that philosopher lady being on board

Think I missed that part?

[LateReg]

And that philosopher lady being on board

Think I missed that part?

Hahaha, you know, Christine Larson-Nitzsche. Line Producer/Production Manager.

[Jonah]

And that philosopher lady being on board

Think I missed that part?

Hahaha, you know, Christine Larson-Nitzsche. Line Producer/Production Manager.

Ah okay lol.

What minimum bit of news would you guys need to hear that would make you think it's more TP? Like aside from Frost, MacLachlan, or Lee being announced, or shooting in Snoqualmie, who or what being involved would make you think it's more TP? I mean, apart from major stuff like that, what other indicators could we be looking for to gauge that?

[Jonah]

I might be wrong, but I believe at the time, Lynch was generally selling his scripts to a studio, signing a contract in his personal capacity giving the studio the rights to the property with him as director (and, after Dune, insisting on final cut as a term of the contract). Lynch doesn’t own films like Blue Velvet; he essentially did them as “work for hire,” from a legal standpoint, even though they are of course auteur works that he conceived from start to finish. (Eraserhead being the one exception that he does own of course, which IIRC, is simply copyrighted to Lynch himself.) As far as I’m aware, L/F Productions was the first legal entity he formed, and that was mostly because L/F were in the rather novel position of actually keeping control of the property for themselves. I could be wrong, but I’ve read a lot on Lynch and never seen anything to the contrary. Of course, Asymmetrical and Absurda came later as his reputation grew and he had the clout to actually own some portion of his films as a term of the contract.

Which works does Lynch own and which ones does he not? Does he get any say with regards to Blue Velvet?

With regards to TP, does CBS have a stake in it and Showtime too, and if so how much? If Season 4 did go to Netflix, could each season theoretically go to any studio/streaming service?