The lost film that David Lynch spent almost 40 years trying to make

David Lynch as a man and creative force cannot be described, for he is an enigma shrouded in cosmic brilliance that we can only pretend to be worthy enough to understand. A legend left our mortal plane at the age of 78leaving behind a legacy of inimitable cinematic, television and narrative achievements, where even his “worst” film is better than the average director’s best film. His 2007 film David Lynch Cooks Quinoa is one of the most fascinating works of short film and is simply a video of the famous director doing exactly what the title says – cooking quinoa. (For the record, his quinoa recipe is pretty darn good.)

He is a creative force so singular and unique that his work has helped us understand our own existence. His authorial view of the world around us was so clear that we had to invent the term “Lynchian” before we even dared to try to wrap our heads around it. He inspired countless other creators and is fully responsible for why many of us fell in love with cinema, but there will truly never be another like him.

That’s why it’s so surprising to know that one of Lynch’s greatest passion projects never came to fruition despite 40 years of trying.

Following Lynch’s success with 1977’s Eraserhead, he began development on a film called Ronnie Rocket: or the Absurd Mystery of the Strange Powers of Existence. He wanted this to be his next feature, but after he was unable to secure funding, he shelved the project and instead tackled what would become another of his ultimate classic, The Elephant Man. He picked it up again in the 1980s, but by then felt it would never happen.

Ronnie Rocket is the story of a detective who tries to access the second dimension thanks to his ability to stand on one leg, although his journey is hindered by a strange realm of rooms, a train and a group known as the Donut People who use electricity as a weapon. Its title, however, is a reference to a small teenager named Ronald d’Arte, who can only stay alive if plugged into an electrical grid and has the power of proximity to electricity, which he uses to create music or cause destruction. calling himself Ronnie Rocket and befriending the Electra-Cute tap dancer. These two narrative threads take place in different worlds but are connected in unexpected ways, a common theme in Lynch’s work. On paper, “Ronnie Rocket” sounds really absurd, but when you know it’s from the mind of David Lynch, it makes perfect sense.

Many of Lynch’s signature motifs from throughout his filmography are present in the project, including rejecting America’s idealized view of 1950s culture, characters with disabilities portrayed in a way that most filmmakers simply don’t have the opportunity to even attempt, and it would be his first color film inspired by the work of Jacques Tati. Dexter Fletcher and Michael J. Anderson (who would later appear in Twin Peaks) were both attached at various points in the title role, while Brad Dourif, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nance, Isabella Rossellini, Harry Dean Stanton, and Dean Stockwell were also in the running for roles in the film. All of them would eventually appear in various Lynch projects.

Unfortunately, most of the financiers interested in bringing it to life eventually filed for bankruptcy before the film could be made, including Dean De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope. It remains one of the most infamously discussed unmade films in film history.