HBO’s greenlit The Franchise, a new comedy that delves into the world of superhero films. Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed the series’ pilot, and Emmy winner Jon Brown (Succession) writes and guides the half-hour comedy as showrunner.
“With a deft touch only he can bring, Sam has brilliantly captured the romance and the reality of filmmaking today. Jon is superb at sending up worlds we think we already know. Together, with Armando [Iannucci], they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more,” stated Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series.
The series stars 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. Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl are recurring season one guest stars.
Jon Brown, Jim Kleverweis, Dundee Productions’ Armando Iannucci, and Neal Street Productions’ Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor serve as executive producers.
HBO released this description of The Franchise:
“The crew of an unloved franchise movie fight for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. 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.”
