David Lynch says he won't direct 'Twin Peaks' sequel

Surrealist American filmmaker David Lynch has announced he will not be directing the upcoming return of the early 1990s cult classic "Twin Peaks" following a dispute over how much he would get paid.

"After 1 year and 4 months of negotiations, I left because not enough money was offered to do the script the way I felt it needed to be done," Lynch tweeted on Sunday night.

The television network Showtime announced in the fall that the series, based on a small-town murder in quirky Twin Peaks, would return as a limited series in 2016, 25 years after the show's last airing.

Lynch said the show "may still be very much alive" at Showtime but said he had already called several actors to tell them he was not directing.

"I love the world of Twin Peaks and wish things could have worked out differently," Lynch tweeted.

According to US media, however, Showtime issued a statement in which it appeared the network held out hope it could reach a deal with Lynch.

"We were saddened to read David Lynch's statement today since we believed we were working towards solutions with David and his reps on the few remaining deal points," the statement read.

"Showtime also loves the world of Twin Peaks and we continue to hold out hope that we can bring it back in all its glory with both of its extraordinary creators, David Lynch and Mark Frost, at its helm."

The original series starred Kyle MacLachlan, who played FBI Agent Dale Cooper, Sherilyn Fenn, Lara Flynn Boyle and Joan Chen.

MacLachlan is reprising his role in the new series.

The two seasons of "Twin Peaks" that aired in 1990 and 1991 were followed by a movie, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me."