Steven Spielberg Almost Directed an Episode of ‘Twin Peaks’

Imagine doing something so innovative at work that you attract the attention of your area’s greatest icon. That’s what happened to David Lynch and Twin Peaks in the early 1990s, as it changed the television medium forever and captivated audiences everywhere, especially the entertainment industry. This is how Steven Spielberg came to be a fan and actually asked to direct an episode in Season 2, in fact. Series co-creator Mark Frost and writer Harley Peyton nearly got him to do it, as revealed in Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks, by Brad Dukes, but, as fate would have it, it didn’t work out.

Steven Spielberg Wanted To Direct the Season 2 Premiere of ‘Twin Peaks’

In a town like Twin Peaks, everyone knows each other and nothing is what it seems; apparently, the same holds true for Hollywood. Season 1 of Twin Peaks was such a hit that everyone wanted to have a crack at it, even Steven Spielberg. It all started thanks to writer Harvey Peyton, whose first wife was friends with Kate Capshaw, Spielberg’s wife. As Peyton recalls, he knew Spielberg pretty well because of this connection, and the filmmaker mentioned in passing how fun it would be to direct an episode in Season 2.

Of course, Peyton didn’t let this opportunity pass by and, the following summer, talked to Mark Frost about the possibility of having Spielberg direct the Season 2 premiere, asking him: “This is probably not a bad way to kick off the second season, right?” Definitely not, and Frost agreed. Spielberg and Capshaw invited Frost over for dinner, and they talked about the possibility, with Frost even showing them a rough cut of the Season 1 finale, the only episode he directed of the series. Frost and Spielberg continued to talk afterward about the latter coming on to direct the premiere over the following months.

Unfortunately, though, what prevented this from happening was David Lynch being adamant about directing the premiere himself. When Frost and Lynch sat down to write the premiere, they discussed the possibility of Spielberg directing it, but Lynch really wanted to do it, so Frost didn’t press him. Peyton also recalls that Lynch said, “Maybe [Spielberg] can direct later in the season,” but, unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be.

Steven Spielberg Apparently Wanted His ‘Twin Peaks’ Episode to Be “As Weird as Possible”

Among the many Twin Peaks trademarks is the sheer weirdness of it all. Like everything in David Lynch’s career, its dreamlike atmosphere made everything seem surreal, from the way characters talk to the occult forces surrounding Laura Palmer’s (Sheryl Lee) death. It’s all very disquieting, and, apparently, Steven Spielberg wanted to keep it that way. “I want to do it as weird as possible; it’ll be so much fun,” he said, according to Peyton. That approach would certainly have gotten a thumbs-up from Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan).

With Lynch set to helm the Season 2 premiere, however, Spielberg would have to direct another episode. However, as Mark Frost mentions, Spielberg went on to work on one of his movies, and the resulting scheduling conflict prevented him from directing an episode of Twin Peaks. Based on the timing, Spielberg must have either been working on Hook (which started principal photography in February 1991), Jurassic Park (which began filming in August 1992, with pre-production starting earlier), or pre-production on Schindler’s List.

Season 2 of Twin Peaks is where the series has an infamous drop in quality, with controversial plots taking over from the main murder investigation. Multiple directors came on after Lynch and Frost reduced their presences on set following the pressure they suffered from ABC to reveal the truth about Laura Palmer’s murder, and that resulted in an uneven sequence of episodes in the second half of the season. Having a director like Spielberg take over at least one episode in Season 2 would have been great for the series, injecting some much-needed talent and star power into it, but maybe it was never meant to be.

Steven Spielberg and David Lynch Finally Worked Together on ‘The Fabelmans’

Seeing geniuses such as David Lynch and Steven Spielberg working together on Twin Peaks would have been a dream for anyone who likes good movies and television, but it didn’t happen. Fortunately, the two of them did get to collaborate once when Lynch played legendary filmmaker John Ford in Spielberg’s autobiographical movie The Fabelmans. It remains one of Lynch’s most celebrated acting works, as he gives young Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) a lesson in framing a scene. We could have had much more, of course, but that’s enough to be grateful for.

The two original seasons of Twin Peaks are available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S.

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