Shelved Larry David Doc Could Still Potentially Be Released, Says Director Larry Charles — Here's How
On SiriusXM's The Julia Cunningham Show Monday, Charles said that his shelved documentary with David could potentially be released on YouTube down the road. 'I hadn't [thought of that] until this moment, but that's an interesting way of looking at it. You know, I do have a copy of it,' he said.
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The writer/director/producer confirmed that he has previously released content straight to fans before (as was the case with the 2016 film Army of One that he shot with Nicolas Cage), and that a similar release could very much work for his unreleased project with David.
'As long as I don't make money with it, nobody seems to really care,' Charles said. 'That might be the case with the Larry David documentary also. I'm going to explore that as soon as we get off the air here.'
When Cunningham suggested that maybe Charles hit 'upload' the day David dies (or include its release in his will, in case he dies first), he replied, 'Anything is possible, as we know.'
The documentary was originally scheduled for release on March 1, 2022. Just one day before, HBO tweeted that the film was being postponed. 'The Larry David Story on @HBOMax is being postponed,' HBO reps wrote. 'Instead, Larry has decided he wants to do it in front of an audience. Stay tuned for more info.'
No other comments were made at that time.
Charles said that he was told that David's agent threatened HBO, saying they wouldn't get another season of Curb Your Enthusiasm if the doc came out. In a recent interview with The Daily Beast, he elaborated on why he thinks David had the documentary pulled. First, he alleges that David 'didn't like how he looked or sounded.' The production — which was filmed simply as a conversation between the men, with David sitting on a couch — featured natural lighting sans makeup, and that may have ultimately unsettled the comedian. 'We all have our vanity and our ego,' said Charles.
The director believes the other issue was that David was far more vulnerable than funny in the finished product. 'He cried. We talked about death and spirituality. We talked about his family,' Charles recalled. Though Charles thought their chat was 'revelatory,' he says that as the release date got closer, David, who was initially pleased with the project, grew more 'troubled' by the thought of its public consumption. Hence, the Curb maestro pulled the plug.
What do think, L.D. fans? Are you hoping we eventually get to lay eyes on the doc? Let us know in the comments.
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