HBO has released the official trailer for the original comedy series The Franchise, which will debut on Sunday, October 6, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The eight-episode series will be available on HBO and Max.
The Franchise follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. One new episode will debut weekly through Sunday, November 24.
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 mess-up has an origin story.
The cast includes 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. The recurring guest stars include Richard E. Grant as Peter and Daniel Brühl as Eric.
The executive producers are Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor for Neal Street Productions; Armando Iannucci for Dundee Productions; Jon Brown; and Jim Kleverweis.
The pilot was directed by Sam Mendes and written by Jon Brown, who serves as showrunner.
“With a deft touch only he can bring, Sam has brilliantly captured the romance and the reality of filmmaking today,” said Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series, previously.
“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.”
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to provide the latest news on streaming, movies, and TV shows. He previously created the websites ComingSoon, SuperHeroHype, and ShockTillYouDrop.