Unreleased David Lynch Script Sells For $150,000 at $4.5 Million Estate Auction

Fans of filmmaker David Lynch turned out in force for a major estate auction this week, where hundreds of items from his personal collection were up for grabs. The sale, held at the Peninsula Beverly Hills and organized by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies, brought in more than $4.5 million.

The biggest sales of the day were two scripts. One was from Lost Highway, Lynch’s 1997 film, and the other was a set of screenplays for Ronnie Rocket, a movie he worked on for years but never finished. Each fetched $150,000.

Ronnie Rocket has long been seen as Lynch’s biggest “what could’ve been.” He began writing it in the late 1970s and once described it as a story about “electricity and a three-foot guy with red hair.” Though he rewrote it many times, the project was never made. Lynch himself once said he’d never completely given up on it. “I’m waiting for a time where I don’t really care what happens, except that the film is finished,” he told writer David Breskin back in 2013.

An Kroeber, whose late husband Alan Splet worked on sound for some of Lynch’s best-known films, said the Ronnie Rocket script went through many changes. “I suspect that Ronnie Rocket is David’s most thought-about story,” she said.

Other auction items also brought in large sums. A copy of Mulholland Drive‘s script sold for $98,000. A rare print of Eraserhead, Lynch’s first feature, sold for $40,000. His director’s chair brought in $70,000. Even one of his espresso machines went for $35,000, a nod to Lynch’s well-known love of coffee.

Fans also grabbed items tied to Twin Peaks, the cult series Lynch co-created. The iconic red curtains and patterned floor from the Black Lodge scene sold for $25,000. A framed photo of a nuclear explosion, which was used in the show, went for $35,000.

The sale featured more than just film memorabilia. There were household objects, books, props, old appliances, and cameras. Many bids were placed online before the auction even began, with offers already crossing the $1 million mark ahead of the event.

Catherine Williamson from Julien’s Auctions said the strong turnout showed how much Lynch’s work meant to people. “Every object in this collection served as a window into Lynch’s surreal and uncompromising creative world,” she said.

This auction wasn’t just about collecting. It was about honoring one of film’s most unique voices. Even after his passing, Lynch continues to inspire.

I think it’s incredible to see how much people still care about Lynch’s work. It’s not just about the films—it’s the strange worlds he built and the way he told stories. Ronnie Rocket may never have made it to screen, but clearly, it still matters. Would you have wanted to see it? Let us know in the comments.