HBO’s dramatic coffers remain full on a post-Game of Thrones note with Big Little Lies (including the unsettling Meryl Streep scream) and Euphoria (including the controversial graphic content), but they’re also stacking up the comedic content. That includes a new stand-up comedy special from Lil Rel Howery, who recently starred in FOX’s REL (a semi-autobiographical turn) as well as Jordan Peele’s Get Out, HBO’s Insecure, and Netflix’s Bird Box.
This newly announced project will be the debut HBO special for Howery, who will tape the show in front of a live LA audience in July with an as-yet-undetermined release date. In a statement, Nina Rosenstein, executive vice president of HBO Programming, shared the news while declaring that “Rel brings such a funny perspective to his storytelling and we’re so happy to be working with him on his first HBO special.”
The comedian, actor, writer, and producer has a ton of other projects on the way, but his own stand-up special promises to be a crown jewel. In addition, it’s also worth looking back at Howery’s discussion with fellow Bird Box actor Trevante Rhodes as the two riffed on survival tactics for the apocalypse while touching upon the social consciousness of horror movies. That’s only one quick example of how funny Howery can be while also tackling tough topics, which may give us a glimpse of the deftness to come in his HBO special.
