Eight years after David Lynch got the band back together for Twin Peaks: The Return, two of the iconic series’ main stars are reuniting for a new psychological thriller.
The Good Dark is set to feature Audrey Horne actor Sherilyn Fenn alongside Leland Palmer actor Ray Wise (via Bloody Disgusting). The film began production this week with Hunter Lee Hughes directing, and It Follows executive producer Alan Pao serving in that same capacity. Hughes said in a statement:
Bringing Sherilyn and Ray together is a dream come true. Sherilyn’s innate curiosity, authentic emotions and formidable acting talent, along with Ray’s intense energy and undeniable charisma will make them an instant cinematic power couple.
Simon Lööf (In the Lost Lands) and Rex Lee (Entourage) will also star in The Good Dark. Hughes said of them:
We’re also thrilled that Rex and Simon are joining us. Rex is a close friend and we’re excited to highlight his logic, intellect and world-weariness, while Simon is that rare combination of movie star, true artist and piercing eyes that made someone like Paul Newman so special.
Lee and Hughes previously worked together on the drama Guys Reading Poems. Gabe Armentano (Magnolia Flowers), Christopher Quartuccio (Anastasia: Once Upon a Time), and Rebekah Brandes (Nothing Left to Fear) round out the Good Dark cast.
The movie’s synopsis reads as follows:
The film follows world-famous psychic Sue Penth and her husband Edward after he’s experienced a medical setback. Needing to pay off hospital bills, they concoct a plan to deceive Sue’s lucrative client base — a decision that leads to tragedy.
The Good Dark stars Fenn and Wise are no strangers to exploring darkly psychological material, having both been there when Twin Peaks kicked off in 1990, its blackly humorous blend of soap opera and surrealism going on to revolutionize television.
Fenn played the seductive Audrey Horne, known for her saddle shoes and dreamy dance moves. Wise famously portrayed the father of the slain Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), with Leland being revealed in season 2 as part of the answer to the question on everyone’s lips in 1991: “Who killed Laura Palmer?”
The malevolent entity BOB (Frank Silva), who took possession of Leland, was the other part of the answer.
Wise played Leland again in the spinoff movie Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, which further explored the possessed father’s relationship with tortured daughter Laura. Fenn famously was not brought back for that spinoff movie, but Lynch did want to bring Audrey back in a different project exploring her dreams of becoming a Hollywood actor.
By the time Lynch made his movie about Audrey going to Hollywood, the character was no longer Audrey Horne, the actor playing her was Naomi Watts, and the movie was Mulholland Dr..
Audrey did finally get to come back when Twin Peaks: The Return premiered in 2017, in a mysterious storyline that may have all taken place in her comatose mind.
Wise was on board for The Return as well, but played only a limited role. Rumors that Twin Peaks could make one last comeback percolated right up until Lynch’s passing earlier in 2025 at the age of 78.
Though Wise and Fenn were both major players in Twin Peaks, their characters seldom shared the screen. The Return revealed that Audrey, who was left comatose after the bank explosion in the Twin Peaks season 2 finale, was impregnated by Evil Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and later gave birth to the vile Richard Horne (Eamon Farren).