David Lynch is now homebound and can no longer direct movies in person

American filmmaker David Lynch has revealed he can no longer direct movies in person as he's confined to his home due to ill health.

Lynch, 78, is responsible for bringing the world titles like Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and the original Dune movie, which was released in 1984.

The director’s last feature film was the 2006 movie Inland Empire, and most recently he's directed a number of music videos.

David Lynch's last feature film came in 2006. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)

However, in a new interview with Sight & Sound magazine he revealed he can now only conduct his work remotely.

Lynch explained that he's been diagnosed with emphysema; a lung condition which causes shortness of breath due to damage to the air sacs in the lungs.

The condition is caused mainly by long-term exposure to airborne irritants, including smoking tobacco or marijuana, air pollution, or chemical fumes and dust.

For Lynch, he said his illness came as a result of 'smoking for so long'.

He explained: “Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me."

Lynch said smoking was 'killing' him. (Getty Stock Photo)

"It was part of the art life for me: the tobacco and the smell of it, and lighting things and smoking and going back and sitting back and having a smoke and looking at your work, or thinking about things; nothing like it in this world is so beautiful," Lynch continued.

However, he revealed his habit was 'killing' him, so he 'had to quit'.

Now, he says: "I’m homebound whether I like it or not. I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”

Lynch noted the outbreak of the coronavirus only made things worse for him, saying: "Because of Covid, it would be very bad for me to get sick, even with a cold.”

Lynch can no longer leave his home. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

This is another reason he needs to stay at home; to protect himself from potential infection.

Lynch doesn't want to give up his career, though, and has said he's open to working from home where he can.

“I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it,” he said.

He's still thinking about potential future projects, which could include his 2010 screenplay Antelope Don’t Run No More making it to the screen.

Commenting on the possibility, Lynch told the magazine: “Well, we don’t know what the future will bring, but we remain hopeful.”