David Lynch reveals emphysema diagnosis after 'many years of smoking,' but says he 'will never retire'

The filmmaker took to X to clarify comments he made about his limited mobility in a recent "Sight & Sound" cover story.

David Lynch has set the record straight over speculation that his filmmaking career may be over.

The 78-year-old cinema legend opened up about a recent emphysema diagnosis in the September 2024 issue of Sight & Sound, saying the condition has made directing a particularly difficult exercise among all his creative pursuits.

"I've gotten emphysema from smoking for so long, and so I'm homebound whether I like it or not," he shared, adding, "I can only walk a short distance before I'm out of oxygen."

When posted on social media sites like X and Reddit, the comments immediately went viral within the cinephile community, with users lamenting the loss of one of the past century's most singular cinematic voices.

But Lynch himself took to X to clarify, noting that his comments were prematurely taken to the extreme and capping the brief statement with "I will never retire."

When asked about the prospect of remote directing in the cover story by the BFI's Sam Wigley, Lynch responded that he "wouldn't like that so much," but "would do it remotely, if it comes to it."

On X, however, Lynch shared that "Recently I had many tests and the good news is that I am in excellent shape except for emphysema." The panic over Lynch's potential retirement is certainly mislaid given the fact that he remains a prolific artist, just not a prolific film and television director.

Related: Isabella Rossellini reflects on Roger Ebert saying David Lynch exploited her in Blue Velvet: 'I was an adult'

Lynch has pursued varied artistic endeavors for decades, including music, painting, furniture design, meditation, and sculpture. Just this year he announced the upcoming release of an album of new music co-produced and performed with the Twin Peaks: The Return actress Chrysta Bell Zucht (stage name Chrystabell).

In April, Lynch exhibited a large-scale installation called "Interiors by David Lynch: A Thinking Room" at the annual Italian furniture arts fair Salon Del Mobile. The installation spread over more than 500 square feet and featured a large wooden chair, golden cylinders, a vaulted metal ceiling, strange windows, videos projected on massive screens, all hung in — you guessed — blue velvet.

It's been seven years since Lynch premiered what can now rightfully be called his most ambitious televisual work to date: Twin Peaks: The Return. The 25-episode miniseries reunited him with iconic former collaborators such as Naomi Watts, Laura Dern, and Kyle MacLachlan; picked up 10 Primetime Emmy nominations; and launched an ongoing debate: Are long, well-made miniseries actually movies?

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While he certainly can't be accused of slacking, many of Lynch's loyal fans are only fans of his film and television work. Before The Return the last Lynch project to hit screens was 2006's Inland Empire. These fans fear an even longer wait before Lynch's next film or series, if another comes at all.

Rumors have circulated for years around an undeveloped film titled Wisteria, but nothing has ever materialized. Regarding whether his long-banked 2010 screenplay Antelope Don't Run No More could be next to enter development, Lynch told Sight & Sound, "Well, we don't know what the future will bring...but we remain hopeful."

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.