The American filmmaker who was celebrated for his uniquely dark vision in movies such as Blue Velvet has died just days before his 79th birthday.

News of Lynch’s passing has attracted tributes from icons far and wide, from fellow directors like Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and James Gunn to his collaborators Kyle McLachlan, Naomi Watts, and Nicolas Cage. Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow, and Patton Oswalt also shared tributes.

Following the death of director David Lynch, tributes have poured in from the world of cinema for the director behind 'Twin Peaks' and 'Mulholland Drive'.

Tributes pour in as Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive director dies aged 78 - The ‘Eraserhead’ and ‘Elephant Man’ director was described as ‘the first populist surrealist’

Lynch was a onetime artist who broke through in the 1970s with the surreal “Eraserhead” and rarely failed to startle and inspire audiences and peers in the following decades.

The late Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet director’s canon has left a lasting imprint on musicians and sound designers

The film world is mourning the loss of David Lynch, the legendary filmmaker behind 'Twin Peaks' and 'Blue Velvet.' Lynch's family confirmed his passing in a Facebook post, saying there is "a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us.

Duran Duran have paid their respects to David Lynch describing him as a “creative superhero” and “enormous inspiration”. The veteran director and Twin Peaks creator’s death was announced yesterday (January 16) by his family and came after he was reportedly “forced to relocate from his house” due to the Los Angeles wildfires. He was aged 78.

David Lynch, the celebrated director of avant-garde films such as Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive and The Elephant Man and the much-loved TV show Twin Peaks, has died at the age of 78.

When “Twin Peaks” premiered in 1990, it expanded the cinematic potential of a TV episode and inspired a generation of showrunners.

Find out where to watch 'Twin Peaks,' 'Blue Velvet,' other other David Lynch films. Plus, the two David Lynch movies you can't stream.