‘Twin Peaks’ Inspired an Oscar-Nominated Film From 1 of Its Creators
Twin Peaks is considered a cult classic TV show. Years after it went off the air, millions of people still watch the two original seasons, a spinoff movie, and a limited revival series. However, one proposed spinoff didn’t make the cut as a Twin Peaks series. But did end up becoming the hit movie Mulholland Drive.
Cult classic ‘Twin Peaks’ tells the story of the mysterious murder of Laura Palmer
Twin Peaks was created by Mark Frost and David Lynch and ran for two seasons on ABC. The show returned for a third season in 2017 and generated the prequel movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.
In the series, FBI agent Dale Cooper attempts to solve the mysterious murder of Laura Palmer in the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington. The show contained mystical elements and eccentric characters that heightened the mystery surrounding Laura’s death. And many call Twin Peaks one of the greatest TV shows of all time.
‘Mulholland Drive’ was originally conceived as a ‘Twin Peaks’ spinoff following main character Audrey Horne
With shows, a movie, and books centered around the world of Twin Peaks, the universe is pretty extensive. However, according to Frost and Lynch, that universe could have been even bigger, with a spinoff series titled Mulholland Drive.
“I lived on Mulholland Drive at the time and I thought it was a great title,” Frost told IndieWire. “We had considered spinning off the Audrey [Horne, one of Laura’s classmates] character and setting her loose in Hollywood, in a modern noir. We had very preliminary talks; it drifted away, and then six years later, I hear it’s going be a pilot at ABC.”
Lynch had pitched Mulholland Drive to the network. But he reworked it with new characters so it wouldn’t be part of the Twin Peaks story. ABC ended up passing on the project, which left Lynch free to make a movie titled Mulholland Drive.
The 2001 movie starred Naomi Watts, as Betty Elms, an aspiring actress who arrives in Los Angeles and befriends an amnesiac woman. The pair explore L.A. and try to find out who the amnesiac really is. Mulholland Drive would go on to be nominated for an Oscar, four Golden Globes, and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Co-creator Mark Frost said actor Sherilyn Fenn was ‘eager’ to star in the ‘Mulholland Drive’ show
Watts’ role was what Frost and Lynch had originally conceived for Audrey Horne, who was played by Sherilyn Fenn. According to Frost, Fenn was “eager” to play Betty in the TV show version of Mulholland Drive.
“She was ambitious, and we probably could have built a show around her,” Frost said of the failed pilot. “I don’t know exactly how it went from there to a pilot script without her.”
He continued. “Maybe because Twin Peaks had crashed and burned [after two seasons], there wasn’t much appetite for spinning off a series from it,” Frost posed. “I wasn’t involved, and frankly, I needed a break from working with Lynch at that point.”
Frost might have needed a break from Lynch, but he was eager to return for the continuation of Twin Peaks. He was a co-writer and executive producer on the third season of the show, which is also known as Twin Peaks: The Return.
