HBO has ordered a new comedy series titled The Franchise. The show will tackle the concept of superhero movie franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe.
What is The Franchise about?
“The crew of an unloved franchise movie fight for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe,” reads the series’ official description. “The Franchise shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f*ck-up has an origin story.”
The half-hour comedy series will star Himesh Patel as Daniel, Aya Cash as Anita, Jessica Hynes as Steph, Billy Magnussen as Adam, Lolly Adefope as Dag, Darren Goldstein as Pat, and Isaac Powell as Bryson. Recurring guest stars will include Richard E. Grant as Peter and Daniel Brühl as Eric.
Emmy Award winner Jon Brown (Succession, Misfits) wrote the pilot and serves as The Franchise’s showrunner, while Oscar winner Sam Mendes is directing the pilot. Executive producers are Mendes, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor for Neal Street Productions, Armando Iannucci for Dundee Productions, Jon Brown, and Jim Kleverweis.
“With a deft touch only he can bring, Sam has brilliantly captured the romance and the reality of filmmaking today,” Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series said in a statement. “Jon is superb at sending up worlds we think we already know. Together, with Armando, they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more.”
