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‘Twin Peaks’ 2017: Mystery Casting Choices And Strange Filming Locations Keep Fans Guessing

By Rob Cotton
Published on: 06:32 PST, May 10, 2017

We’re only a little over a week away from the long-awaited return of the classic TV show Twin Peaks, and fans of the show are taking a lot of time to speculate about some of the show’s mysteries, new and old.

While the original two seasons of Twin Peaks and the movie prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, contain plenty of unsolved mysteries that may or may not be answered or even addressed in the new season that begins airing on Showtime on May 21, some unexpected casting choices and filming locations for the 18 new episodes of Twin Peaks, all directed by series co-creator David Lynch, have fans guessing about the roles and settings for the new season.

The majority of the original Twin Peaks cast is returning to the show, including Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper, Sheryl Lee as Laura Palmer, Ray Wise as Leland Palmer, and Sherilyn Fenn as Audrey Horne. Much of the principal filming is also being done in Snoqualmie and North Bend, Washington, where the original series was mostly filmed. But some unexpected casting additions and filming locations are causing much speculation among Twin Peaks fans anxiously awaiting the new episodes to air.

According to Esquire, not much has been divulged about the new Twin Peaks episodes. What is known is that David Lynch and Mark Frost wrote a 400-page script for the new episodes, and the series is primarily going to be set about 25 years after the end of the original series, which found Agent Dale Cooper trapped in the Black Lodge, which can be described as the primary source of all the evil that takes place in the show.

Interestingly, in one of the scenes in the Black Lodge, Laura Palmer said to Dale Cooper, “I will see you again in 25 years,” indicating that perhaps Lynch and Frost planned a future return to the series back when it initially aired.

Casting details and filming locations of the new Twin Peaks have been reported, though with little explanation as to what they’re all about. One of the more unexpected casting choices is Michael Cera. Fans are busy speculating what role Cera might play on Twin Peaks. Will he play another of the many quirky FBI agents already introduced in the show, perhaps working right alongside Agent Gordon Cole, played by David Lynch? Other casting choices that have people wondering include musicians Eddie Vedder and Trent Reznor, both avowed Twin Peaks fans. Will they play musicians in the show, citizens of the town of Twin Peaks, or something else entirely? Not much is known.

Will Michael Cera play Gordon Cole’s FBI partner in the new ‘Twin Peaks’ episodes? [Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]

David Lynch has also cast some actors he’s worked with in the past but who were not part of the original Twin peaks episodes and film. Laura Dern, a long-time friend of Lynch who has appeared in several of his films, has been cast in the new season. Details of her role have not leaked, but it might be interesting if she were cast as Agent Cooper’s secretary, Diane, who “appeared” in the original episodes only in the form of a tape recorder that Cooper used to record notes about his investigative findings and tangential ponderings, always addressing “Diane” at the beginning of a new note.

One small detail is being reported on the IMDb page for Twin Peaks (2017) that suggests Robert Forster is playing the older brother of Harry Truman, the sheriff of the town of Twin Peaks played by Michael Ontkean, who will not be returning in the show’s new episodes. Forster is listed as Sheriff Frank Truman in the casting details on IMDb. Forster has worked with David Lynch before, having originally been cast in a prominent role in the intended Mulholland Drive TV series, a role which was reduced to a bit part when the show’s pilot was re-edited as a standalone film. Naomi Watts, the main star of Mulholland Drive, will also be joining the cast of Twin Peaks, but her role remains a mystery.

Perhaps even more interesting than some of these casting choices is the list of filming locations for the new Twin Peaks episodes that has appeared on the show’s IMDb page. In addition to the principal filming locations in Washington state, the page lists Los Angeles and the Mojave Desert in California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Paris, France, among other locations. No explanations have been given for these locations, but speculation abounds.

Could a desert filming location involve some kind of space alien presence in the plot, as alluded to in the book The Secret History of Twin Peaks, written by Mark Frost? It could simply be that characters from the original series moved to these places, or perhaps they relate to entirely new story arcs that will be introduced. The show’s cast, producers, and Lynch himself have been tight-lipped about details.

The long wait for new Twin Peaks episodes is almost over, and fans are excited to sink their teeth into what will surely be a bevy of new mysteries surrounding the show. With all 18 episodes being directed by David Lynch, most are just ecstatic that the show they like is going to come back in style.

https://youtu.be/khwuhgxjoXU

[Featured Image by Dan Steinberg/AP Images]

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