Much like the series itself, the road to Twin Peaks season 3 has been filled with twists and turns. After announcing that he wouldn't be directing the new episodes, series co-creator David Lynch has officially joined the project, with Kyle MacLachlan returning among the show's cast members.

What initially started as a nine-episode run has been extended to 18 episodes that are set to debut on Showtime in 2017. However, plot details for the Twin Peaks revival have (naturally) been kept under wraps.

Now Showtime president David Nevins has spoken to reports at the 2015 Television Critics Association press tour, and, courtesy of TVLine, we have a better glimpse into what season 3 of Twin Peaks will hold. Here's what Nevins had to say about those conflicting reports that Lynch would return to the show:

"I never had any doubts we were going to get him back. This was a huge priority project to me. It became clear that it was going to take more than nine episodes, which was the originally planned-for and budgeted-for length of the series. I really wanted to get David to direct the whole thing, and he wanted to direct the whole thing. We had to work out the details. We eventually got through it."

Lynch is known for being a director with a distinct vision for each of his projects, and it does make sense that his contract would hinge on the number of episodes involved in telling the story he and co-creator Mark Frost have in mind. Ultimately, they're the ones who are directly accountable for the show, especially since they're looking at this revival season as "one long movie", according to Nevins.

"It's very satisfying. There's certain basic questions that I had at the end of the original [show] — given where Agent Cooper is — and I think those questions get answered.. .. Twenty-five years have passed. But it resolves the questions left from the original series."

Twin Peaks has always been, first and foremost, a mystery show, and as such, it left no shortage of unresolved plot threads when it left the airwaves back in 1991. Nevins teased that the new episodes will have "big surprises" in store for fans and, while he wouldn't name anyone directly, a number of "familiar faces" will re-appear on the new Twin Peaks, which starts shooting September. Among the biggest surprises is exactly when the show will premiere, as Nevins is hoping for a faster turnaround than what's been announced.

"I want it as badly and as soon as the biggest fans in the world want it. I'm hoping we make 2016. It's not clear. It's ultimately going to be in [series co-creators David Lynch and Mark Frost's] control. They’re going to shoot the whole thing and then they'll start posting. Bottom line is I'll take it when they're ready with it… but I'm hoping sooner rather than later.”

The chances of Showtime getting its hands on Twin Peaks season 3 ahead of schedule are probably pretty slim, but it does sound like Lynch and Frost are looking to take advantage of this opportunity to continue the story they started years ago. Moreover, fans hoping to see David Duchovny's Agent Denise Bryson and other memorable characters return may be in luck.

Twin Peaks season three is expected to air on Showtime by late 2016/early 2017.

Source: TVLine