Armando Iannucci - H 2015
AP ImagesVeep‘s creator is leaving office.
Armando Iannucci is departing the acclaimed HBO comedy after four seasons, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The pay cabler has tapped David Mandel (Curb Your Enthusiasm) to take Iannucci’s place as showrunner.
“We have had conversations with Armando for some time about the challenges of maintaining his family life in London and producing a show in the states,” an HBO rep said in a statement. “Armando is not replaceable but we are confident that Veep will continue to be produced at the highest levels with new showrunner David Mandel. David has worked with HBO for many years as executive producer, writer and director for Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
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Veep has not yet been renewed, but a fifth season is inevitable given the amount of accolades the show has received — an important factor for HBO. The series has earned three Emmy nominations for best comedy series, as well as a Writers Guild of America award for best comedy series in 2014. Veep‘s leading lady Julia Louis-Dreyfus has earned three consecutive Emmys for her turn as politician Selina Meyer on the series.
Iannucci has hinted for years that he planned to eventually step down from the HBO satire. “I mean I want Veep to carry on, but there will come a point when I want to move on to something else,” he told the Radio Times in December 2013.
He revealed last month at the British Film Institute that he is working on a comedy about the death of Stalin. “There are various things I’m looking at, but I have no idea what the next project is going to be,” he told THR earlier this month. “I’m itching to do something cinematic again.”
Mandel’s new gig reunites him with Louis-Dreyfus, with whom he worked on Seinfeld for three years. His other credits include The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live.
Mandel is repped by WME and Hansen Jacobson.
After this story was published, Iannucci commented on his departure from the comedy:
‘Veep’ returns Sunday, HBO10.30pm.Our best season yet.Time for me to quit airports. I’m leaving on a high and kissing goodbye to jet-lag.
— Armando Iannucci (@Aiannucci) April 10, 2015
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1:50 pm, April 10 Updated with Iannucci’s tweet.
