Why Larry David’s HBO doc was shockingly canceled day before premiere
Larry David fans will really have to curb their enthusiasm now.
The two-part HBO documentary “The Larry David Story,” which “shines a new light on the infamous cynic who remains a singular voice in comedy today,” was scrapped late on Monday, the day before it was slated to premiere on March 1.
“The #LarryDavidStory on @HBOMax is being postponed. Instead, Larry has decided he wants to do it in front of an audience. Stay tuned for more info,” tweeted the official HBO Documentaries Twitter account.
Sources close to the comic told Page Six that “in front of an audience” means that David wants to now hatch a live stage version of the show — not just premiere the documentary in front of an audience at a theater.
It’s unclear when — and if — the doc will now see the light of day. But a source said that HBO will follow David’s lead.
“He’s done so much for them,” the insider said.
The news comes just two weeks after the network announced the documentary, which was supposed to give fans of the 74-year-old funnyman a “peek behind the proverbial curtain” as he reflects on his road to success and life lessons “from his humble beginnings as an unfunny Brooklyn kid to becoming America’s favorite misanthrope.”
“Is this a joke?” one bewildered fan commented on the news of the cancellation, while other disgruntled Twitter users posted GIF reactions featuring David himself.
“The amount of pull Larry David has at HBO … wow!” tweeted another fan. “Just mere hours before it was set to premiere. King.”
However, our insider cautioned that David has been known to change his mind back-and-forth — and back again — in the past when it comes to projects, interviews and plans.
“He’s the most neurotic person I have ever met,” said a showbiz vet. “He’s Larry David.”
In 2012, David even sat for one of the Financial Times’ famed “Lunch With” interviews and admitted to the writer he was going to arrive at the lunch and feign that he did not realize it was an interview to get out of it, the Page Six source pointed out.
David told the writer at the time: “I was thinking about coming here and saying, ‘Oh, this is an interview? I didn’t know it was an interview! I thought you just wanted to have lunch.’ Then you’d go, ‘No, no, it’s an interview.’ And I’d say, ‘Oh my God. I’m sorry.’ ”
David added: “I would say, ‘I just can’t do it. There’s been a miscommunication.’ ”
In that case, he went through with it.
Brooklyn native David created the hit sitcoms “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which would have been discussed in the documentary of David’s life, alongside other topics like parenthood and metaphysics.
“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which debuted in 2000, while “Seinfeld” ended in 1998, premiered its 11th season last year. The show has been nominated for 47 Emmys and won a Golden Globe in 2002 for best comedy series.
