David Lynch tributes: Ron Howard, James Gunn and others remember Twin Peaks director after his death aged 78

Celebrities including Ron Howard and James Gunn have paid tribute to Hollywood icon David Lynch following his death aged 78.

The four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker's family announced the devastating news via social media on Thursday.

Famous for directing his iconic TV series Twin Peaks and the film Blue Velvet, Lynch had recently been battling ill health and was homebound due to emphysema.

In a post, shared on Facebook, his loved ones wrote: 'It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch.'

'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,' they concluded.

Happy Days icon and director Ron Howard wrote: '#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema.'

DC Studios boss James Gunn penned: 'RIP David Lynch. You inspired so many of us.'

Mulholland Drive actress Lee Grant reminisced on her time on the acclaimed 2001 film, writing: 'In the early 90s the production manager of a film I was working on built part of our shooting schedule around the broadcast of a TV show the crew refused to miss. The show was Twin Peaks. I became fascinated by David Lynch’s dreamscapes along with everyone else on the film. 

'Years later, when offered the chance to work with him for a day, I jumped at the opportunity to see how a mind like that directed. It was a day on Mulholland Drive. He was, in actuality, a one of a kind artist.'

Patton Oswalt, who has previously cited Lynch's 1977 film Eraserhead as one of his defining movies, wrote: 'David Lynch, RIP. At least that’s what the horse wearing a fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish).'

Director Jason Zada wrote: 'David Lynch was such a huge inspiration for me when I was growing up. I remember seeing Eraserhead on VHS and watching it over and over. 

'His films, his voice, his TV show Twin Peaks shaped me when I was starting out. He was a fearless director, a visionary, and an icon. Rest in weird peace, Mr. Lynch.'

Spring Breakers director Harmony Korine remembered Lynch to IndieWire, saying, 'David Lynch was one of our great artists, a Mount Rushmore-level director, truly a GOAT. He changed a lot of people’s lives. There will never be another one like him, because he made films at a point in history where nothing like that had ever been experienced before. 

'We live in a time where everything has been seen. Lynch invented a new language. He was a once in a generation talent who absorbed the embers of America’s wildness. 

'He embraced his own inner logic and filtered it through a subconscious magic. He created worlds and unmatched vibrations. He hit on things that were inexplicable and sacred and beyond articulation. He is a treasure. His work will live forever.'

 Lynch is survived by his wife Emily Stofle, and three children Jennifer Lynch, Austin Jack Lynch, and Riley Lynch.

In an interview with Sight & Sound in August, Lynch said that he got the disease 'for smoking so long.'

Lynch said: '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.'

The director of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks got real as he said his love of cigarettes put him in this position.

Lynch said: 'Smoking was something that I absolutely loved, but in the end, it bit me.

'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. Meanwhile, it’s killing me. So I had to quit.'

Though his disease has prevented him from working on projects in person, he is not completely ruling out the possibility of directing in the future.

He said: 'I like to be amongst the things and get ideas there. But I would try to do it remotely, if it comes to it.'

Lynch was referencing his animated project - called Snootworld - which was pitched and ultimately passed on by Netflix. 

In November, he told People that he required supplemental oxygen for most activities and could 'hardly walk across a room.' 

'It's like you're walking around with a plastic bag around your head,' he said of his battle with emphysema. 

Despite not having any regrets, Lynch hopes his devastating health update will encourage other smokers to quit.

He also told the outlet: 'Think about it. You can quit these things that are going to end up killing you.'

Lynch admitted there had been a 'big price to pay' for his lifelong habit but said he didn't regret it.

By the time he gave up cigarettes the father-of-four could 'hardly move without gasping for air.'

'Quitting was my only choice,' he said. 

His most recent major project before his health issues was the revival of his series Twin Peaks for Showtime in 2017.

The original series had ran from 1990 to 1991 as it followed the investigation into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer (played by Sheryl Lee) as it took place in the fictional town of Twin Peaks, Washington.  

When it first aired in the early 1990s the series had developed a cult following after its run on ABC which later resulted in the 1992 prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk.

Over two decades Lynch's signature franchise made a comeback with Twin Peaks: The Return.

Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick, Lee and David Duchovny - who starred in the original - returned for the revival.

Other stars were also added into the mix including Laura Dern, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Szohr, Michael Cera, Richard Chamberlain, and Trent Reznor.

Lynch's other signature projects included Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), Blue Velvet (1986), and Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006).