Hey, everyone! I see a few new posters around here and some of my old buddies (hey, Mordeen!). It's been years since I posted but recently I've been checking this thread regularly and finally decided to weigh in with my thoughts on Lynch's new project. So, here's my two cents. A year ago, a source I fully trust privately informed me that Lynch did in fact make a deal with Netflix to make a limited series (that info came from someone connected to Netflix) but the pandemic obviously put that on hold. They didn't know what the project was but they knew a deal had been made, and that's as much as I know but I do trust the source and I believe that to be true. Now, the question that's been on my mind (and everyone else's around here) is whether that project is in fact TP Season 4 or a new original series. However, one issue that I've been thinking about and that I haven't seen raised here before is the issue of Netflix licensing the previous seasons and FWWM.
If this is indeed Season 4, Netflix would presumably have to license S1, S2, S3 and FWWM so that people could catch up all in one place and of course to bring in new fans so that the audience is not only limited to the existing fans. The current rights vary widely across the globe: for example, I've been told that Netflix Latin America actually has all 3 seasons but not FWWM; I believe Netflix US has S1/S2 only; and Netflix in Europe where I am has none. So that would mean that Netflix would have to spend a considerable amount of money in order to license all three seasons and FWWM for its services around the world (Friends cost 100 million dollars for one year in 2020; I don't know how much TP would cost but we're still talking millions). Now, yes, I understand that Netflix could afford it since they have seemingly unlimited resources. However, Netflix is no longer in the business of licensing content from other providers but in the much more lucrative business of creating its own content they could use in perpetuity. In other words, yes they can afford it, but does it make business sense? If I were Sarandos, I'd rather use that money and put it in the production of content I fully own and can distribute across Netflix's worldwide platforms. Of course they could make some kind of deal with Showtime/CBS and MK2 but again we're still talking a lot of money for licensing someone else's content, especially for longer periods of time.
So, for that reason it seems unlikely to me that this will turn out to be TP S4. At least not in the conventional sense. Could this be some kind of a spin-off? Or a project set in the world of Twin Peaks but only tangentially related to what came previously (something that would not require the knowledge of previous seasons and FWWM)? Perhaps a project in which old actors are playing new characters? Or what seems to me most likely to be the case - a completely new and original project (something "radical" as Laura Dern called it)? I will admit that I am rather skeptical when it comes to some of the clues that have been discussed around here and find most to be pure conjecture and wishful thinking, and honestly I don't read absolutely anything into TP cast members posting or retweeting photos and videos of wisteria, shushing, etc. other than them being just as curious as we are and having some fun with the rumors. I don't buy that any of those really amount to any evidence one way or another but I do believe my original source and that Lynch is working on something (whatever that turns out to be) and that he's simply delayed by the considerable challenges of filming during the pandemic.
Now, of course once upon a time I was totally skeptical about S3 happening (and according to my old posts, I didn't even want it to happen WTF?!
) so I could be wrong but I'm leaning toward this being an original project or perhaps one set in the world of TP but not requiring the knowledge of S1, S2, S3 and FWWM. Curious to hear everyone's thoughts, including Agent Earle whom I disagree with 99.99% of time but whose posts I still find highly amusing to read.