David Lynch’s Unmade Series Unrecorded Night May Be Released as Scripts
David Lynch’s long-rumored but unrealized project Unrecorded Night may finally reach the public: Jennifer Lynch, the late filmmaker’s daughter, revealed in a Reddit post that she and her siblings are considering releasing the unproduced scripts as a way of sharing the work Lynch was unable to bring to screen before his death. “Unrecorded Night scripts are likely to be published by myself and my siblings as a way to offer what could not be realized, to those who would have loved it,” she wrote.
The decision marks a notable shift in how the Lynch estate has historically handled unfinished material. Lynch was famously guarded about works in progress and unreleased projects. When asked by Rolling Stone in 2018 whether he might continue exploring the world of Twin Peaks: The Return, he offered a curt response: “I don’t talk about that.” For decades, Lynch avoided public discussion of unmade projects, reinforcing his preference that work exist only in its intended, completed form.
Jennifer Lynch’s comments suggest the family’s motivation is both protective and intentional. In her post, she urged fans to avoid seeking out unauthorized versions of the scripts that may be circulating online. “I beg everyone to wait for this release and not hunt down what will likely be unauthorized versions and would soil the beautiful work Dad created,” she wrote. Emphasizing the family’s role as stewards of Lynch’s legacy, she added that they hope to see his work “shared and celebrated in every good way.”
Details about Unrecorded Night have remained scarce, though collaborators have offered limited insight in recent years. Cinematographer Peter Deming previously described the project as part of Lynch’s informal “L.A. canon,” aligning it thematically with works like Mulholland Drive, blending mystery, psychological unease, and Hollywood mythology. Lynch reportedly envisioned a cast that included Naomi Watts, Laura Dern, and Kyle MacLachlan, with Toby Jones in a leading role.
Producer Sabrina Sutherland, a longtime Lynch collaborator, has said the project was ambitious in scope, with plans for 20 to 25 episodes. Speaking to Boston Hassle, Sutherland explained that pre-production began shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic shut the project down. Lynch continued revising the scripts up until his death. “We were going to meet next week,” she said. “David was rewriting all the way up to his passing.”
At the time, Unrecorded Night was being prepared for presentation to Netflix, though it never advanced to production. The scale and complexity of the project, combined with the pandemic and Lynch’s health, ultimately prevented it from moving forward.
Interest in Lynch’s unproduced work has remained strong. Last year, a collection of his scripts, including the long-unmade Ronnie Rocket: The Absurd Mystery of the Strange Forces of Existence, sold for $150,000 at auction. That project, first developed in the late 1970s, has long been considered one of Lynch’s most elusive unrealized films.
If released, the Unrecorded Night scripts would offer a rare window into the final phase of Lynch’s imagination, allowing readers to encounter his last creative ideas as literature.
