The show takes place behind the scenes of a major superhero movie franchise. 

Updated 02/10/24: Official trailer drops for The Franchise.

With the show’s launch three weeks out, Sky have revealed the full trailer for its superhero movie series satire.

The Franchise also has a new logline: “A hopeful crew finds themselves trapped inside the dysfunctional, nonsensical, joyous hellscape of franchise superhero moviemaking.”

There’s definitely a sense of that, with Himesh Patel trapped at the centre of a production with an erratic director and a needy cast…

The eight-part series launches in the UK on October 21st, 2024, while it’s October 6th in the US on HBO.

Additionally, it’s now confirmed that Sam Mendes directs the pilot, while the writer/showrunner is Jon Brown. Both serve as executive producers, alongside Armando Iannucci.

Original article (of 10/09/24) continues…

The Franchise – teaser for new Armando Iannucci / Sam Mendes comedy

HBO and Sky have dropped the first teaser for The Franchise.

The show, from executive producers Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes, and created by Succession writer Jon Brown, follows a film crew making a superhero movie.

Here’s the premise:

The series follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The comedy series 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 Franchise has assembled an impressive cast for its superhero shenanigans. Himesh Patel (Yesterday) plays Daniel, with Aya Cash (The Boys) as Anita and Jessica Hynes (There She Goes) as Steph. Plus. Billy Magnussen as Adam, Lolly Adefope (Ghosts) as Dag, Darren Goldstein as Pat, and Isaac Powell as Bryson.

Recurring guests include Richard E. Grant as Peter and Daniel Brühl as Eric.

The first three episodes of The Franchise land at Sky and NOW on 21st October, with new episodes released weekly. In the US, HBO gets it a shade earlier on October 6th.