6 Emmy Nominations 2026
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! is a two-part HBO Max documentary chronicling the life and work of one of the greatest comedians and filmmakers in American entertainment history. Directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio — the same team behind Deep Cut's Emmy-winning George Carlin's American Dream — co-executive produced and edited by Deep Cut co-founder Joe Beshenkovsky, ACE, the film premiered on HBO Max on January 22, 2026.
The documentary follows Brooks across his extraordinary career — from his early days writing for Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows in the 1950s alongside Neil Simon and Carl Reiner, through his defining comedy albums and films: The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and many more. The film draws on rare archival footage and new interviews with Brooks and an extensive roster of collaborators, friends, and admirers.
"Has a seamless flow and structure, toggling back and forth from Apatow's conversations with Brooks to a wealth of secondary interviews, archive interviews, and clips, all in the service of telling a story." — Metacritic
"The archival interviews, film clips, and performance footage are deftly curated." — RogerEbert.com
"One of the cleverest tricks by directors Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio is playing some of Brooks' stories across not just his sit-down interviews with them, but over multiple talk show appearances." — AP / SHOOTonline
"The editing turns the well-trod into an asset — transforming familiar stories and clips into something fresh and purposeful." — Metacritic