Sam Mendes’ HBO Superhero Movie-Making Comedy ‘The Franchise’ Ordered to Series, Himesh Patel and Aya Cash Starring
On Wednesday, HBO announced they have given The Franchise a series order, a new half-hour comedy focused on the behind-the-scenes process of making a superhero movie. The project was first reported exactly one year ago, on August 9, 2022, when Variety reported that the network had ordered a pilot. Sam Mendes directs, with Veep creator Armando Iannucci attached; Jon Brown serves as writer of the pilot and showrunner.
According to Variety, work on the pilot was completed before the actors’ strike, and production on the rest of the series will resume after a deal is reached with SAG-AFTRA. The cast includes Himesh Patel and Aya Cash, Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Brühl. Here is the official logline:
“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.”
Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, and Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series, said in a statement:
“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, they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more.”
This is Mendes’ first venture into directing TV. The Oscar-winning director behind such hits like American Beauty and Skyfall last directed Empire of Light, which play as well as the studio expected both with audiences and awards voters. Mendes also revealed recently that he received a generous offer to direct the next James Bond film, but declined. He directed both Skyfall and Spectre with Daniel Craig.
No release date has been set for The Franchise, but if the SAG-AFTRA strike is resolved sooner rather than later, we could see it on HBO before the end of 2024.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
