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After delivering Succession, one of the most compelling and talked-about shows in recent memory, the show’s creator, Jesse Armstrong, is ready to tackle his next project at HBO. According to Deadline, Jesse Armstong’s next project is a film about the ongoing international financial crisis, not a television series. Based on Armstrong’s original idea, the untitled project is getting set up at HBO Films.

Jesse Armstong is writing and executive producing the film alongside Frank Rich. Plot specifics remain a mystery, though Deadline says the untitled film could revolve around four friends who meet up during the crippling events of an ongoing international financial crisis. The project is moving fast, likely to capitalize on Succession‘s popularity, which ended its final season on May 28, 2023. Wow! Has it really been that long? Dag, yo. As long as everyone’s schedules align, production could begin later this year.

Astonishingly, Succession amassed 75 Emmy nominations and 19 wins.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Day of the Jackal season 1, episode 9.

The penultimate episode of The Day of the Jackal (2024) sees Jackal get into his most precarious situation yet, as he finally takes down Ulle Dag Charles, but he's not out of the woods yet. Jackal (Eddie Redmayne) has been chasing Udc for most of the series, and despite his meticulous planning and care, he has been thwarted in previous attempts. With Jackal's personal life falling apart, and the police and special forces on his tail, it seems more likely than ever that the Jackal will not survive this job.

After his failed attempt in Tallinn, Estonia, Jackal has gon home to recover and make a new plan. It's the first time in a while that he has seen Nuria, and he lets her know that he has almost finished the job. However, Nuria is also distraught due...

On its face, HBO’s new series “The Franchise” may look like a blunt send-up of some of the well-known pitfalls of making a superhero film — and it is. But it’s also a love letter to the under-recognized crews full of people who actually care very deeply about their jobs.

That’s especially true of Himesh Patel’s character, Daniel. In the series, he’s the First Ad on a fictional superhero film called “Tecto: Eye of the Storm.” And though he’s definitely jaded about what’s happening on set and within the franchise as a whole, he still actively tries to pitch ideas to make it better. As Patel explained it, Daniel has worked his way up through the studio system and is really quite proud to be a part of it.

“He’s leading with actually wanting it to be good,” Patel told TheWrap. “And that...

The following contains spoilers for "Scene 117: The Death of Eye," now streaming on MaxThe Franchise's season 1 finale is a surprisingly bittersweet victory for the show's protagonists, and sets the stage for an even more chaotic and confrontational season 2. The show's first season has highlighted the litany of challenges facing the production of the in-universe superhero movie Tecto: Eye of the Storm. Painfully aware of how close Tecto is to be shuttered, The Franchise's main characters Dan and Anita struggle throughout "The Death of Eye" to find a way to salvage the film behind Eric's back.

While this leads to a successful pitch to Shane to shift the tone of the film, the discovery of Dan's subtrefuge shatters the last of Eric's faith in his first Ad. When Tecto takes the summer-tentpole position made vacant after Centurios 2 production is halted due to a scandal, Eric thanks Dan for saving the...

HBO's comedy satire show The Franchise takes aim at the production of big-budget superhero films, like those released by Marvel Studios for the MCU. It imagines the many ways filming such a project could be problematic, depicting the filmmakers doing their best to make the superhero movie come together.

At New York Comic Con, several cast members discussed the series with Cbr's Kevin Polowy. Present for the conversation were Himesh Patel (Daniel Kumar), Aya Cash (Anita), Daniel Bruhl (Eric Bouchard), Darren Goldstein (Pat), Isaac Powell (Bryson), Lolly Adefope (Dag), and Billy Magnussen (Adam). For those who haven't yet tuned in to the series following its debut on HBO earlier in October, the cast members shared some details about each of the characters they play. As hinted by the actors, each character has an important role to play with making the intended blockbuster.

Related The Franchise's Billy Magnussen Addresses Dcu Booster Gold Fancasts

Billy Magnussen,...

Often, workplace-themed comedies and dramas allow audiences to sit back and nod in a relatable and ironic sort of comfort. As the genre took off with shows like The Office and Scrubs, many others have tried to capture the magic of relatable comedy in other workplace environments, but alas, even the best of these shows often burn bright for a moment before being replaced by another. A big problem with the genre is its inability to be flexible with different kinds of workplaces and their unique cultures, and as anyone in the film industry will admit, working on a mega-franchise movie or show is worlds different from any office or hospital could dream to be portrayed on film. Furthermore, why wouldn't filmmakers want to finally share in their equally exhausted frustration with these franchises with audiences that are experiencing exhaustion? Enter HBO's The Franchise.

This recent series follows the daily...

The following contains spoilers for The Franchise season 1 episode 3, "Scene 54: The Lilac Ghost," now streaming on MaxThe Franchise just had its most cutting piece of commentary yet, directed straight at the top of the Hollywood system. The Franchise is centered around the troubled production of a superhero blockbuster, lampooning the current state of the industry. The Franchise juggles its entire cast of characters in "Scene 54: The Lilac Ghost" but the episode also serves as a showcase for Katherine Waterston's Quinn. The only female actor of note in the in-universe film Tecto, an exhausted Quinn is ready to be done with the project only to discover that due to studio mandated rewrites, she's been given an extended scene.

The motivation behind this is to address a "girl problem" that the franchise has, something the executives want to be celebrated for taking care of with the least amount of effort or forethought.

“I couldn’t possibly comment,” laughs Dame Pippa Harris when Deadline asks the British producer if she recognizes any colleagues among the hideous and hilarious characters in her latest series, The Franchise. Armando Iannucci’s HBO satire, going behind the scenes of a stodgy superhero franchise known as Tecto, has something for everyone who feels even slightly disenfranchised working inside the film and TV content machine.

There’s Richard E Grant’s Peter, an anti-woke thesp who is equal parts pompous and tempestuous as he embodies Tecto’s nemesis. Or what about Eric? Daniel Brühl’s deep-thinking director, who says things like, “The day hath come when the suits flutter down from the trees,” when executives visit set. Talking of whom, Pat Shannon (Darren Goldstein) is a sharply observed monster of a studio boss, who has no shame in intimidating toiling underlings at the alter of a washroom urinal.

‘The Franchise...

Production on Tecto: Eye of the Storm rolls on, but in the latest episode of The Franchise, we are finding out that making the fictional and so clearly not a Marvel-inspired (wink wink) superhero movie can be a multiverse of madness. Titled “The Invisible Jackhammer,” Episode 2 was set on stunt day during the ongoing shoot. With new producer and old fling Anita (Aya Cash) now on location with film-studio bigwig Pat (Darren Goldstein), Tecto‘s First Assistant Director Daniel (Himesh Patel) endured more “wall-to-wall stress,” says Patel. So far, his character has had to deal with hilariously needy leading man Adam (a wonderfully layered Billy Magnussen), prickly villain Peter (Richard E. Grant), and artfully pretentious director Eric (Daniel Brühl), while also dodging the constant threat of the studio head’s unctuous assistant Bryson (star-in-the-making Isaac Powell) and the indifference of his Second Ad Dag (Lolly Adefope). “At the same time...

HBO's The Franchise is an original satirical comedy that chronicles the behind-the-scenes chaos of a superhero franchise film, and it includes a diverse mix of Hollywood stars and up-and-coming talents, some of whom have actual superhero franchise experience themselves. The series is poised to take aim at the discordance that reportedly plagues interconnected universes like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe. One of the series' executive producers is actually Sam Mendes, who has experience directing in the long-running James Bond film series, and makes his television directing debut with the show's first episode.

That level of first-hand experience in franchise film making undoubtedly acts as a benefit for several members of the cast of the series, and could explain why reviews for The Franchise have been mostly favorable so far. While the show has only been greenlit for one season so far, there should be a built-in...

It takes more than a village to make a movie; it’s more like a small army. And in the case of “The Franchise,” that army has a lot of faces you’ll recognize.

Streaming on Max and airing on HBO on Sundays, the comedy series tells the story of a film crew working to put together the next installment in a major (fictional) superhero franchise. Along the way, they run into the many hurdles of Hollywood, with the show lovingly poking fun at how real superhero films seem to be made.

Like we said, you’re going to see a lot of familiar actors, some of whom have actually starred in real-life franchises. We’ve rounded them up for you below.

Here’s who’s who in “The Franchise.”

Colin Hutton/HBO Daniel (Himesh Patel)

Daniel is the First Ad on the fictional movie “Tecto,” and he basically keeps things afloat in the series.

Though HBO’s latest comedy is called “The Franchise,” there’s never any doubt which franchise creator Jon Brown has in mind. The beleaguered crew, stressed-out producers and insecure stars of “Tecto: Eye of the Storm” comprise a tiny fiefdom of a sprawling empire. Overseen by an invisible puppetmaster, the master narrative is a jumbled knot of continuity errors. Actors get yanked off the set for a day’s cameo elsewhere on the drab, generic backlot as plot holes demand. Directors and performers with prestigious résumés do time for a paycheck, getting praise for their visionary genius as their every contribution is overruled or ignored. If this IP abomination had a name, it’d be Blah-rvel Cinematic Universe. But of course, it doesn’t need one.

A byproduct of the superhero era has been a slew of (barely) fictionalized laments about what the superhero era hath wrought. “The Boys” has...

HBO’s The Franchise may forever alter the way you experience a big-budget, IP-driven movie, by revealing just how silly it can be to film such an overblown spectacle.

Premiering this Sunday, Oct.6 at 10/9c and counting two-time James Bond movie director Sam Mendes among its executive producers, The Franchise follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie — Tecto: Eye of the Storm — as they fight for their place “in a savage and unruly cinematic universe.”

More from TVLineThe Franchise: Sam Mendes Told Two MCU Directors to 'Tune In and Have a Laugh' - Grade HBO Spoof's PremiereIs Castle's...

The Franchise is a superhero spoof from the right people. Made by Jon Brown (Succession), Veep creator Armando Iannucci, and Skyfall and 1917 director Sam Mendes, The Franchise was born out of a collective experience that includes big-budget blockbusters and bitingly hilarious comedies. Together, the series creators are no doubt able to put together a parody that is informed by the real deal.

Unlike many other shows and films that touch on the subject, the superhero satire The Franchise explores the lives of characters at many different stages of its fictional movies production. Lolly Adefope (Ghosts) plays Dag, a new employee experiencing this level of film production for the first time, Darren Goldstein (Ozark) plays Pat, a franchise studio producer, and Isaac Powell (American Horror Story) plays Bryson, an assistant to the studio head. Characters like this allow The Franchise to find the humor in all levels of film production.

Related...

Superhero fatigue, as one of the characters in The Franchise says, is not a real illness. And yet, weve all felt the effects of it for a long while now. HBOs new series capitalizes on that fatigue, but it isnt to present us with a hollow storyline fueled by the constant output of content and underwhelming special effects, its to satirize it. Created by Jon Brown, the series is also a love letter to the crew who works on these films. Theyre overworked, overstressed, and underappreciated, and The Franchise gives them their time to shine.

The Franchise

Cast Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, Jessica Hynes, Daniel Brhl, Lolly Adefope, Billy MagnussenRelease Date October 6, 2024Seasons 1Genres ComedyNetwork HBO MaxStreaming Service(s) MaxDirectors Sam MendesShowrunner Jon Brown

Its hard to come by a TV comedy that is actually funny these days, but The Franchise nails the humor at every turn.

Visit the (fictional) set of the big-budget superhero fantasy Tecto: Eye of the Storm and you’ll immediately suspect things aren’t well in the Maximum (think Marvel) Cinematic Universe. In the elaborate three-minute tracking shot with which director Sam Mendes opens HBO’s gleefully satirical The Franchise, we encounter a costumed “fish person” extra on the verge of a panic attack, a British soundstage that the pretentious director is keeping too dark for the studio’s taste, and a clueless star who’s later coached to swagger “like a panther on his way to a job interview.” Huh? Trying to keep the multimillion-dollar production from going off the rails is Daniel (Himesh Patel), the first assistant director: “I’m Everything Man, the world’s most thankless superhero,” he wearily explains. While putting out multiple fires and stroking multiple egos, Daniel is showing the ropes to newly arrived third assistant...

Laughter was brought to LA! The red carpet premiere for “The Franchise” was held on Tuesday, October 1 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles. Gold Derby associate editor Latasha Ford was there to chat with stars Himesh Patel, Jessica Hynes, Lolly Adefope, Daniel Brühl, Billy Magnussen, and Darren Goldstein – key cast members behind the HBO series. Check out the interviews above.

See ‘The Franchise’ trailer: Superhero movies get the ‘Veep’ treatment from HBO

The half-hour HBO original comedy 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 secretive chaos behind the walls and world of superhero moviemaking when it all goes bad.

The series stars Himesh Patel (“Station Eleven”) as Daniel, the production’s first assistant director, with Lolly Adefope (“Shrill”) as Dag, his new deputy. Billy Magnussen plays the film’s star,...

Episodes viewed: 8 of 8

Streaming on: Sky/Now

There’s been no shortage of superhero movies in the last few years — and no shortage of some less-than-heroic behind-the-scenes reports to go along with them, too. So it’s almost surprising it’s taken this long for a show like The Franchise to come along. The brainchild of Armando Iannucci, Sam Mendes and showrunner Jon Brown, this is — like The Thick Of It or Veep — a workplace satire, one that shines a cutting, sharply funny light on cinema’s comic-book craze.

From episode to episode, there is seemingly no limit to the amount of hilariously undignified chaos unfurling on the set of fictional superhero movie ‘Tecto’. Said chaos ranges from garden-variety nonsense — studio interference, late-in-the-day script edits, actors not leaving their trailers for reasons — to the more superhero-specific. Brown’s targets are keenly tuned in this regard, his barbs sharp. From the...

Plot: 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?

Review: HBO has certainly struck gold with The Penguin, once again cementing the cable network as a powerhouse of original series in the age of streaming saturation. But for every great HBO drama, there are iconic comedies that the network has needed since the end of Veep. Blending the insider knowledge of acclaimed filmmaker Sam Mendes and the biting satirical wit of Armando Iannucci, HBO has their next hit series in The Franchise. Mocking the world of Marvel and other studio intellectual property, The Franchise looks at the behind-the-scenes tension while filming a comic book adaptation. Teasing the conflicting personalities, actor foibles and quirks,...

HBO’s “The Franchise” lives on the edge of chaos. Keeping utter anarchy at bay is a small, dedicated group of unheralded assistant directors and executive producers, but it’s clear from the jump that any sense of control they have over the irrepressible madness of mega-budget studio movie-making is as temporary as it is temperamental. In the opening scene, Dag (Lolly Adefope) walks onto the “Tecto” set for the first time and, like a cog placed into an already-moving machine, slots seamlessly into the frenzied vibes. After a barely acknowledged introduction, she’s running to and fro, helping her boss Daniel (Himesh Patel) avoid one impending disaster after another so they can actually, maybe, for a few seconds even… roll cameras.

They have to diffuse the anxious director, who’s fallen way behind schedule but still refuses to give up any of the 16 set-ups for his “big waterfall scene...

You ever wonder what really goes on during the making of those mammoth superhero movies? The franchise pulls back the curtain to reveal both the hilarity and heartache of blockbuster production.

This new HBO series premiered in October 2024. It offers a comedic look at a day-on-the-job within Maximum Studios—a place churning out comic book films not unlike Marvel. Through the eyes of overworked crew members like assistant director Daniel, the show exposes the absurd demands placed on these movies.

Masterminds behind The Franchise include Armando Iannucci and director Sam Mendes. They crafted a smart, sharp satire exploring both the laughs and less glamorous realities of big-budget filmmaking. Issues like exhausted VFX teams and studio meddling get spoofed in an entertaining yet insightful way.

Beyond mining comedy from superhero tropes, the series also profiles the unsung heroes that bring these films to life. From harried assistants to overcommitted script supervisors,...

From I Love Lucy to The Larry Sanders Show and beyond, writers in the performing arts have always set stories in the world of show business they know so well. (Even Hamlet makes a pretty memorable scene out of the titular character trying his hand at directing.) Naturally, with superhero movies crowding out all other genres, the process of making them is a target fit not just for fictional dramatization, but for savage mockery. Depending on whether you’ve ever added up how much you’ve spent on tickets to predictable movies about deeply mid comic book characters, you might think HBO’s new satire The Franchise — from some of England’s most eloquent and gifted insult craftsmen — doesn’t go hard enough.

In The Franchise’s series premiere, which airs on Sunday, October 6th, we join the production of a movie called Tecto: The Eye of the Storm on...

HBO’s new comedy series The Franchise is about the making of Tecto: Eye of the Storm, a superhero movie for a barely-disguised version of Marvel Studios. In short order, it becomes clear that the only person in the cast and crew who actually cares at all about the movie’s subject matter — Tecto, a superhero who can make earthquakes with the help of an invisible jackhammer — is first assistant director Daniel (Himesh Patel), who grew up reading the source material. Daniel’s new assistant Dag (Lolly Adefope) is just...

The state of big-budget studio filmmaking obviously isn’t as consequential as the state of a dysfunctional, ego-driven, often deeply ridiculous U.S. government. Yet for those who obsessively follow the former, it’s probably more compelling, with the fandom of superhero movies and their ilk adding in a bizarre sports-style overlay of rooting interests. So it follows that “Veep” and “Succession” writer Jon Brown would create the satirical sitcom “The Franchise” with a similar eye for the clueless hubris of an unstoppable yet eminently ruinable machine. Appropriately, “Veep” and ”The Thick of It” mastermind Armando Iannucci is on hand to executive produce.

Also similar to “Veep” is the new show’s mix of schadenfreude for a cursed system and reluctant sympathy for its various cogs (at least the less openly venal ones). It becomes clear early on that it would probably be better for the artistic health of the film...

One of the things about comic book movies being the commercially dominant art form of the past couple of decades is that the genre has also been the most discussed and critiqued. This makes it very difficult for a genre already designed to be all-caps to still have any remaining minutiae left to expose or dissect.

The challenges of finding new elements to pick apart within the world of caped heroes — or within the behind-the-scenes world of filmmaking, for that matter — are platformed in The Franchise.

Despite hailing from Succession and Veep veteran Jon Brown, with Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes among its producers, the comedy series very quickly becomes The Deadline Comments Section for Any Story About Marvel Movies: The TV Show. It has that level of insight and that level of unfolding momentum, complete with so many references to Deadline that you’d think Deadline‘s parent company...

"I just want this to be a good film..." "If you care too much about this job, it will kill you." Indeed. HBO has unveiled the official trailer for the comedy series The Franchise, arriving for streaming on Max later this week. The ridiculously funny comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, asking: how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? With endless fights on set, of course! A team trapped inside the dysfunctional hell of creating franchise superhero movies, at the end of the day the question is: is this Hollywood's new dawn or cinema's last stand? Is this a dream factory or a chemical plant? This sounds hilarious and this looks way, way better than Judd Apatow's The Bubble. The series stars Himesh Patel as Daniel, Aya Cash as Anita, Jessica Hynes as Steph, Billy Magnussen as Adam, Lolly Adefope as Dag,...

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,...

Daniel Brühl of HBO’s upcoming superhero filmmaking spoof, The Franchise, has seen this movie before.

Premiering this Sunday, Oct.6 at 10/9c and counting Academy Award winner and two-time James Bond director Sam Mendes among its executive producers, The Franchise follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie — Tecto: Eye of the Storm — as they fight for their place “in a savage and unruly cinematic universe.” The half-hour comedy series aims to shine a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, asking the question: How exactly does the cinematic sausage get made?

More from TVLineChicago Fire's...

If you thought Armando Iannucci couldn’t find a more colourful world than politics to satirise, think again – the man behind The Thick Of It, Veep, The Death Of Stalin and more is back as executive producer of The Franchise, exploring the chaos unfolding behind the scenes of a major superhero movie. Teaming up with director Sam Mendes and showrunner Jon Brown, Iannucci’s latest series ventures into the realm of blue screens, spandex, gods, and monsters, as the production of ‘Tecto: Eye Of The Storm’ – from ‘Maximum Studios’ – threatens to go spectacularly off the rails. Expect a storm of clashing creative visions, cantankerous stars, and overbearing execs.

While the series centres on Himesh Patel’s First Ad, Daniel, and Lolly Adefope’s Third Ad, Dag, as they desperately try to keep ‘Tecto’ on track, one of the complications in the mix is pretentious director Eric – played by Daniel Brühl,...

HBO has released the first trailer for new Max TV series The Franchise ahead of its debut on the streaming platform on Sunday, October 6. While this show isn't based on any comic book you've ever read, it does take place in the world of superheroes...well, superhero movies.

According to the official logline, "The Franchise 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."

This is either going to be a fun take on how superhero movies are made or a lame attempt to poke fun at a genre that still dominates Hollywood (much to the continued chagrin of certain critics and Martin Scorsese). We'll see,...

"Lights. Camera. Anxiety." HBO has revealed a first look teaser trailer for a new comedy series called The Franchise, arriving for streaming on Max this October. The kooky ridiculous comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, asking: how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Ahahaha what a great question. "Because every f*ck-up has an origin story." Dive right into the mayhem. A team trapped inside the dysfunctional hell of creating franchise superhero movies, at the end of the day the question they face is: is this Hollywood's new dawn or cinema's last stand? Is this a dream factory or a chemical plant? This sounds hilarious and this looks way, way better than Judd Apatow's The Bubble. The series stars Himesh Patel as Daniel, Aya Cash as Anita, Jessica Hynes as Steph, Billy Magnussen as Adam, Lolly Adefope as Dag,...

If the series lives up to its trailer, HBO’s The Franchise is going to be one of the most quotable comedies in years. The first minute-and-a-half teaser shows chaos on the set of a sci-fi action superhero film.

Himesh Patel stars as Daniel, Aya Cash is Anita, Jessica Hynes plays Steph, and Billy Magnussen is Adam. Lolly Adefope is Dag, Darren Goldstein is Pat, and Isaac Powell plays Bryson. Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl show up as recurring guest stars.

“The Franchise follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe,” reads HBO’s synopsis. “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.”

Jon Brown (Succession) wrote the pilot, executive produces,...

HBO has set Sunday, October 6 for the premiere of Sam Mendes and Armando Iannuccci’s comedy series The Franchise. The streamer also released the official teaser trailer which can be viewed above.

Created and executive produced by Jon Brown, The Franchise 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.

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

In addition to Brown, The Franchise will be exec produced by Iannucci,...

Deadline reports that Netflix has announced the casting of 28 actors for the upcoming whodunnit mystery series Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole. The mystery’s plot is led by “famed anti-hero detective Harry Hole. Underneath the surface, this series is a nuanced character drama about two police officers — and supposed colleagues — operating on opposite sides of the law. Throughout the first season, Harry goes head-to-head with his long-time adversary and corrupt detective, Tom Waaler. Harry is a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons. As the two navigate the blurred ethical lines of the criminal justice system, Harry must do all he can to catch a serial killer and bring Waaler to justice before it is too late.”

The series was previously reported to star Tobias Santelmann, Joel Kinnaman and Pia Tjelta. The series is now welcoming character actor Peter Stormare (Fargo) to the cast, as well as...

Exclusive: Peter Stormare (Fargo) is among 28 new additions to the cast of Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole, Netflix’s forthcoming crime series based on the novels from Norwegian author Jo Nesbø.

Others featuring in prominent secondary roles include Anders Baasmo (Power Play), Ellen Helinder (Exit), Simon J. Berger (Exit), Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Westworld) and Kelly Gale (Plane). Director Anna Zackrisson (Deliver Me) has also joined the production, which as previously reported, will star Tobias Santelmann, Joel Kinnaman and Pia Tjelta.

Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole is a whodunnit serial killer mystery led by famed anti-hero detective Harry Hole (Santelmann). Underneath the surface, this series is a nuanced character drama about two police officers — and supposed colleagues — operating on opposite sides of the law. Throughout the first season, Harry goes head-to-head with his long-time adversary and corrupt detective, Tom Waaler (Kinnaman). Harry is a brilliant but tormented homicide detective who struggles with his demons.

Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, died in 1961. But questions surrounding his tragic passing in a plane crash, and his sexuality, refuse to die down.

“We know who he is, but we don’t know that much about him,” says director Per Fly, now bringing “Hammarskjöld – Fight for Peace” to the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His journals “Markings,” published posthumously, provided a way in.

“There he was, this powerful man, and yet his writings deal with loneliness and sacrifice. There was a fragile poet inside of a politician.”

With Beta Cinema on board, the film was produced by Patrick Ryborn for Unlimited Stories. Variety premieres the trailer here.

According to Fly, Hammarskjöld was also a man who couldn’t afford to love.

“Dag said: ‘I am not a homosexual.’ Of course he did – otherwise, he would go to jail. One time,...

HBO, the acclaimed television network, has officially given the green light to the comedy series “The Franchise,” as announced by Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming and Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series. This highly anticipated series features an impressive ensemble cast led by Himesh Patel and Aya Cash, along with previously announced stars Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Brühl. “The Franchise” is a half-hour comedy that hails from the creative minds of Sam Mendes, Armando Iannucci, and Jon Brown.

Set in the comedic realm of an unloved franchise movie, “The Franchise” dives headfirst into the battle for relevance in a chaotic and unconventional cinematic universe. This series unveils the clandestine pandemonium lurking behind the scenes of superhero filmmaking, leaving viewers to ponder: what exactly goes into the making of the cinematic sausage? With the utmost humor and candor,...

Micheal Ward, Sam Mendes and Olivia Colman on the set of ‘Empire of Light’

HBO’s greenlit The Franchise, a new comedy that delves into the world of superhero films. Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed the series’ pilot, and Emmy winner Jon Brown (Succession) writes and guides the half-hour comedy as showrunner.

“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 [Iannucci], they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more,” stated Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series.

The series stars 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.

HBO has announced that the planned new comedy, The Franchise, has been ordered to series. Himesh Patel (Station Eleven) and Aya Cash (The Boys) will star alongside previously announced cast Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant, and Daniel Brühl. The half-hour comedy comes from Sam Mendes, Armando Iannucci, and Jon Brown. The show will follow the crew of an unloved superhero movie franchise movie. “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,” says Amy Gravitt, Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, Head of HBO & Max Comedy Series. “Together, with Armando, they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more.” Patel is set to play Daniel, Cash as Anita, Hynes as Steph, Magnussen as Adam,...

“The Franchise,” a half-hour comedy series from Sam Mendes, Armando Iannucci and Jon Brown, has been picked up to series by HBO.

According to its logline, the show follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie as they fight for their place in a “savage and unruly cinematic universe” and shines a light on “the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking.”

The series stars Himesh Patel as Daniel and 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. Recurring guest stars include Richard E. Grant as Peter and Daniel Brühl as Eric.

Patel is repped by 42, WME, and attorney Greg Slewett. Cash is repped by UTA, Industry, and attorney Paul Hastings.

In addition to Mendes, Brown and Iannucci, “The Franchise” is executive produced by Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor for...

HBO has picked up to series The Franchise pilot, a half-hour comedy that takes a wry look at superhero movie-making, from Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes, Veep and Avenue 5 creator Armando Iannucci and writer Jon Brown.

Work on the pilot was completed before the SAG-AFTRA strike began, and production on the series will not begin until the strikes have concluded.

Himesh Patel and Aya Cash have joined as series regulars on the comedy, which revolves around on the crew of an unloved franchise movie who 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*ckup has an origin story.

Patel and Cash are featured in the pilot, but their roles never were announced. Previously announced cast includes series regulars Jessica Hynes,...