‘Twin Peaks’ Revival: Peter Sarsgaard Joins Amanda Seyfried As Cast Expands

Showtime’s long-awaited revival of Twin Peaks recently went into production, with fans awaiting each and every update from their favorite show. This week, it was announced that the cast will expand, with Peter Sarsgaard joining the new series.

TV Line reported that Sarsgaard is the latest actor to bolster the ensemble cast. A few weeks ago, the Inquisitr reported that Mamma Mia actress Amanda Seyfried is attached to the project. Robert Knepper (Prison Break) and David Lynch stalwart Balthazar Getty (The Lost Highway) will also be involved. No character details have been confirmed yet, but Kyle MacLachlan will be reprising his original Twin Peaks role as Agent Dale Cooper.

Sarsgaard gained worldwide recognition with roles in Garden State, Jarhead, Green Lantern, and Knight and Day. He also featured in Lovelace, the biopic of adult film star Linda Lovelace, who was portrayed by fellow cast member Amanda Seyfried. If the actors happen to share screen time and can utilize the chemistry that made Lovelace so successful, we can expect some explosive scenes. With no characters confirmed yet, the rumor mill will soon be in full flow. Let the speculation begin.

When Twin Peaks was announced in early 2015, David Lynch was revealed as the only choice for the director’s chair, a popular decision with the fans. According to the Guardian, Lynch distanced himself from the project following a funding dispute with Showtime, a decision that caused mass uproar. Social media exploded, and several petitions for Lynch’s return went viral. Within a month, this issue was resolved and David Lynch was back on board, an announcement confirmed by his Twitter account.

Dear Twitter Friends, the rumors are not what they seem ….. It is !!!
Happening again. #TwinPeaks returns on @SHO_Network

— David Lynch (@DAVID_LYNCH) May 16, 2015

The decision to remove Lynch nearly disabled the revival before it began. However, Showtime president David Nevins confirmed the announcement with the following comments. Showtime knew only one man could direct the revival of Twin Peaks, and that was the man who made the original such a huge success in the first instance.

“This damn fine cup of coffee from Mark [Frost, co-creator] and David tastes more delicious than ever. Totally worth the extra brewing time and the cup is even bigger than we expected. David will direct the whole thing, which will total more than the originally announced nine hours. Pre-production starts now.”

Featuring a cast of superb ensemble actors, not to mention MacLachlan returning to his most iconic role, and with Lynch at the helm, it seems the Twin Peaks revival is heading in the right direction. The return was initially scheduled for nine episodes, but the series will now have several more. David Lynch and Mark Frost have co-written each episode, which will please fans of the original, but Lynch will also direct the entire series. Production has already begun in Washington, so don’t expect this to be the last casting announcement.

The show’s premise featured FBI agent Dale Cooper, who is sent to Twin Peaks to investigate the mysterious murder of Laura Palmer. Once there, the small town becomes a character in itself as Cooper discovers all is not what it seems and that people, innocent or otherwise, may have a secret to hide. The creepy murder mystery at the center of the plot was one of the most influential at the time and helped usher in serialized shows like Mad Men and The Sopranos. A feature film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, which served as both an epilogue and a prequel, was released in 1992.

Twin Peaks, which originally aired for two seasons between 1990 and 1991, was one of the top-rated shows on television at the time. It attracted and captured a devoted cult fan base and became a huge part of popular culture. The show has been referenced in television shows, commercials, comic books, films, video games, and song lyrics. As viewership declined in 1991, ABC — who aired the original series — insisted that the identity of Palmer’s killer be revealed during Season 2, a decision that would derail the show, shatter the complex tension that made the series so popular, and thus lead to cancellation.

Now the show is back, and it’s time to pick up where it left off. Twin Peaks will make its return in the summer of 2017.

[Images – ABC/CBS Television and Getty Images/Mike Coppola]