David Lynch is housebound and will never direct in-person again, as he as been diagnosed with emphysema.
The 78-year-old filmmaker told Sight & Sound that the condition, which is a lung disease that causes shortness of breath, increases his susceptibility to COVID. "I've gotten emphysema from smoking for so long and so I'm homebound whether I like it or not. It would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold," he said. He "can only walk a short distance before" before becoming winded.
This means he will likely never direct a film again. If he does, "I would do it remotely if it comes to it" — but he added, "I wouldn't like that so much."
UPDATE (8/5, 5:00 p.m. ET): Following reports about Lynch's condition, the director tweeted an update about his health and career. He confirmed that, while he does indeed have emphysema, he "will never retire." He didn't clarify how he sees his career progressing from here.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Yes, I have emphysema from my many years of smoking. I have to say that I enjoyed smoking very much, and I do love tobacco - the smell of it, lighting cigarettes on fire, smoking them - but there is a price to pay for this enjoyment, and the price for me is
Lynch hasn't directed a feature film since 2006's Inland Empire. He also directed 2017's Twin Peaks: The Return.
He told Sight & Sound that he's "hopeful" his 2010 screenplay Antelope Don't Run No More will be turned into a film. He's also been working on an animated fairytale called Snootworld, but Netflix recently rejected it.
