A two-part HBO documentary about the life and career of comedy icon Mel Brooks has gone into production.
The documentary will be directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, and will arrive as a co-production between the former's Apatow Productions and HBO Documentary Films. According to an official press release from Max, the documentary will be “an expansive yet intimate look at one of comedy's funniest and most influential minds, whose work has brought laughter to audiences around the world for more than 70 years.”
Apatow, who previously collaborated with Bonfiglio for another HBO comedy documentary George Carlin's American DreamApatow expressed his admiration for Mel Brooks’ work in a statement. “I got into comedy because of my love for Mel Brooks,” Apatow said. “This project is a lifelong dream of mine.”
Mel Brooks has been the subject of several documentaries over the past few decades. PBS produced an installment of American Masters about the titled comedian Mel Brooks: Make some noise in 2013, and HBO offered a more personal look at Brooks' life and career with the 2019 documentary Mel Brooks: DiscoveredBrooks also published a memoir in 2021 titled Mel Brooks: All About Me!; pick up a copy here.
Mel Brooks, now 98, chooses his projects very carefully; however, he made a nice return to television with The History of the World, Part IIwhich hit Hulu last year. Brooks is also reportedly producing a sequel to Spaceballs Starring Josh Gad.
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