by Francis Friel, The Projectionist

Meanwhile, 25 years later...

In the lead-up to the third season of Mark Frost and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, a lot of behind-the-scenes intrigue surrounded the production. Lynch, throughout the years, announcing that the project was “dead as a doornail”; Showtime swooping in and acquiring the rights to the title and characters (they are co-ventured with CBS, which has owned the distro rights for years); Frost and Lynch telling the world that the series would be back, as a limited run; Lynch saying he’ll direct every episode, then demanding more money for the production budget, Showtime balking, and Lynch saying “it’s do or die time.” Lynch threatened to quit the project, then actually quit the project, then returned once his demands were met; Michael Anderson’s bizarre falling-out with Lynch, following accusations made on social media that the plot of Twin Peaks was maybe not so fictional after all (specifically, he accused Lynch of sexually abusing his own daughter, director Jennifer Lynch, which Jennifer immediately denied. He also alleged that the director has murdered people. David has made no statements whatsoever on the subject); Frost publishing The Secret History of Twin Peaks, a HUGE DEAL that everyone I know was excited about when it arrived on their doorsteps, yet no one talks about anymore; the deaths of many actors involved with the project, some years past, some very recently (some even died during production); and finally, the episode count expanding from the originally announced nine episodes to a stunning EIGHTEEN full hours of this thing.