(NEXSTAR) – David Lynch, the filmmaker and director behind such movies as “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet” and the TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died, his family announced in a message posted to his official Facebook page. Lynch was 78. “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” reads the Facebook post, which featured an image of Lynch and a guitar. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ “It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way,” his family ended the statement, borrowing a phrase used by Lynch. David Lynch arrives to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 11th Annual Governors Awards held at The Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on October 27, 2019, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic) Variety, reporting on Lynch's death, said Lynch, a longtime smoker, had announced his emphysema diagnosis in 2024. (His family's statement did not include a cause of death.) At the time, he also expressed fear of contracting COVID-19 and leaving his home, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve gotten emphysema from smoking for so long, and so I’m homebound whether I like it or not,” Lynch said in an interview with Sight and Sound last year, adding that he didn’t expect to make another film. Beloved Brewers announcer Bob Uecker dies at 90 Originally from Missoula, Montana, Lynch was a one-time painter who broke through in the 1970s with the surreal “Eraserhead” and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences and peers in the following decades. His notable releases ranged from the neo-noir “Mulholland Drive” to the skewed Gothic of “Blue Velvet” to the eclectic and eccentric “Twin Peaks," which won three Golden Globes, two Emmys and even a Grammy for its theme music. His other credits included the crime story “Wild at Heart,” winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival; the biographical drama “The Elephant Man,” and the G-rated, straightforward “The Straight Story.” "RIP David Lynch," James Gunn, director of "Guardians of the Galaxy," wrote on X. "You inspired so many of us." CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 25: Director David Lynch smokes a cigarette as he attends the "Twin Peaks" screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images) Lynch, a four-time Oscar nominee, won an honorary Oscar in 2020 for his extensive body of work. Lynch also won numerous film festival and critics awards during his career, including a 2001 "best director" award at Cannes Film Festival for "Mulholland Drive." Oscars voting delayed, luncheon canceled due to Southern California wildfires His frequent collaborators included actors such as Laura Dern, who appeared in "Blue Velvet" and "Wild at Heart," among others; Kyle MacLachlan, who starred in "Twin Peaks," "Blue Velvet" and Lynch's adaptation of "Dune," to name a few, and Naomi Watts, who appeared in four of Lynch's final projects. Miguel Ferrer, Sherilyn Fenn and Harry Dean Stanton also had roles in numerous films directed by Lynch. "He gives me the most fun, radical, brilliantly designed look, character traits [and] dialogue," Dern once said of her collaborations with Lynch in a 2020 interview with W magazine. "I mean, it's the great experience of my life getting to work with him." The Associated Press contributed to this article.