Armando Iannucci gave us one of HBO’s most acclaimed comedies with Veep, and he’s gearing up for another collaboration with this network. He joined forces with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes for the comedy series The Franchise, starring Himesh Patel and Aya Cash.
Amy Gravitt, EVP of HBO Programming and Head of HBO & Max Comedy, confirmed they picked up this series, which hails from Iannucci, Mendes, and writer Jon Brown.
“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,” said Gravitti in a statement.
The Franchise will offer a satirical look at the secret chaos inside the world of superhero movie-making, by focusing on a crew of a disliked franchise movie, trying to salvage this project and find their place in an unruly cinematic universe.
In addition to Patel and Cash, The Franchise will also star Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Brühl. The pilot was completed before the SAG-AFTRA strike kicked off, and production isn’t expected to resume before the strikes are over.
