Complex sentence: Malick declined the offer, but instead discussed the idea of a film about the life of Joseph Merrick, but once word got out about David Lynch's "The Elephant Man", he shelved the idea.
Split into simpler sentences: Malick declined the offer, but instead discussed the idea of a film about the life of Joseph Merrick. Once word got out about David Lynch's film of "The Elephant Man", he shelved the idea.