A couple of months ago it looked like Larry David’s work was returning to the big screen for the first time since he starred as a Woody Allen lookalike in the 2009 film Whatever Works. This time around, David conceived the idea for an upcoming improvisational comedy, although the plot is still shrouded in secrecy. Greg Mottola is on board to direct the picture, with John Hamm attached to play the bad guy. After Fox Searchlight picked up the project everything seemed to going swell, until some budget conflicts arose. Now, it is looking like fans may not get to see David’s new project on the big screen after all.
The good news is David and co. are still hard at work on the comedy, but the bad news is that Fox Searchlight may no longer be involved. Normally, a different producer may not change the status of a flick all that much, but the new player is HBO, a company that pushed away from producing on the big screen several years ago. That means we will probably get see the project for the first time on the small screen. The L.A. Times is reporting that HBO has stepped up to offer more money for the project than Fox Searchlight, prompting those involved to enter into talks with the subscription cable station.
Talks are still underway, but the likelihood of catching the as-yet-untitled project at the theater is looking less and less surefooted. Honestly though, the news is not really all that surprising, considering David has had a good working relationship with HBO since they began working on Curb Your Enthusiasm together in 2000. If the project does head to HBO, it might actually earn more eyeballs than it would at the theater, where ticket prices continue to rise. We’ll keep you posted if HBO affirms a commitment to the project.
