Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm
Larry David as himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm. HBO

A hacker targeting US TV network HBO, who has already leaked information regarding fantasy series Game of Thrones, has now leaked several new episodes of Larry David comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm a month and a half before the show was set to return.

The hacker, who claims to have obtained 1.5TB of confidential data and unreleased episodes, has been holding the network to ransom, demanding a payment amounting to half of the $12-15m they claim to make a year from blackmailing hacked companies.

The latest leak, which also includes other shows (via Variety) comes less than a month after HBO dated the return of Curb Your Enthusiasm for 1 October, 2017.

The comedy, a semi-fictionalised account of the life of the show's creator, writer and star Larry David, last aired new episodes in 2011. The upcoming season will be the show's ninth overall and consist of ten episodes.

Last week (10 August) it emerged that HBO had offered $250,000 to "white hat IT professionals" who might be able to help them, in a message that also suggested the company could pay the hacker just as much.

In the message, an unnamed HBO executive pleads to the hacker to extend his deadline so the money can be secured. "You have the advantage of having surprised us. In the spirit of professional cooperation, we are asking you to extend your deadline for one week."

However, following this latest leak, HBO reiterated that it would not cave in to the hacker's pressure tactics.

"We are not in communication with the hacker and we're not going to comment every time a new piece of information is released," the Time Warner-owned network said in a statement.

"It has been widely reported that there was a cyber incident at HBO. The hacker may continue to drop bits and pieces of stolen information in an attempt to generate media attention. That's a game we're not going to participate in.

"Obviously, no company wants their proprietary information stolen and released on the internet. Transparency with our employees, partners, and the creative talent that works with us has been our focus throughout this incident and will remain our focus as we move forward. This incident has not deterred us from ensuring HBO continues to do what we do best."

Among the other shows to have leaked were new comedy Insecure, which debuted last night (13 August), upcoming shows Barry and The Deuce, and Ballers, which is currently airing its third season.

In July, a script for a then-upcoming episode of Game of Thrones was leaked online, as well as the personal details of the show's stars, including their phone numbers. An episode of the show was also leaked shortly after, but not by the hacker in question.