Superheroes, take note! Veep mastermind Armando Iannucci and 1917 creator Sam Mendes are taking on the hell of franchise productions with a satirical comedy starting today.
It’s probably common knowledge how crazy Marvel productions and how bullying DC shoots can be. A satirical look at the filmmaking nightmare of superhero franchises begins today with a new series from Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, Veep), Sam Mendes (1917) and format creator Jon Brown (Succession).
The series is aptly titled The Franchise and will celebrate its US debut on the HBO channel and HBO Max. The German premiere will take place at the same time.
The Franchise takes aim at superhero productions à la Marvel and DC
In The Franchise, Himesh Patel, Lolly Adefope and Daniel Brühl are a stressed, disillusioned film team. Together with their stars (Richard E. Grant, Billy Magnussen and Co.), who are also teetering on the brink of madness, they have to produce the latest entry in an overused cinematic universe of superheroes, while the studio, as Big Brother, is constantly watching them and putting pressure on them.
Whether the series will be a rather loving reckoning with superhero franchises or a harsh criticism will become clear at the start of the series. Formats that have already targeted the big business with costumed heroes in the past include the series version of Irma Vep and the superhero satire The Boys, which, however, also wants to be a hard version of superhero stories.
Watch the original trailer for The Franchise here:
When and where can The Franchise be seen in Germany?
Sky Germany and its streamer WOW will offer The Franchise from October 7, 2024. New episodes will be released weekly.
