The Franchise

Review by AJ

Ever wonder what’s really going on behind the making of your favorite superhero movies? The Franchise, HBO’s new comedy series (shown on Sky Max in the UK) from Veep creator Armando Ianucci and Skyfall director Sam Mendes, offers a zany take at the making of a film franchise through the eyes of its ground crew. Clearly a spoof of the moviemaking machine behind tentpoles like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the satirical black comedy is fast paced, wildly fun, and surprisingly insightful about the inner workings of the film industry. 

The half hour comedy follows Daniel Kumar (Himesh Patel - EastEnders), the first assistant director (AD) on the production of a superhero film called Tecto: Eye of the Storm. Dan must juggle his demanding German director Eric (Daniel Bruhl - Ladies in Lavender) with the film’s two co-stars who won’t get along and the interference of studio executives who keep adding or extracting things as the film’s production barrels toward its deadline. 

The first season of The Franchise consists of 8 episodes, each depicting the many problems plaguing Tecto’s set. These are ripped from the headline scenario you’d typically find on Variety or Deadline. Clashing co-stars – one a rowdy and extra vain American actor, another a snobbish British theatre thespian type. Studio executives interfering in creative decisions. Overspending due to sudden rewrites and cancelled plans. Overworked staff who’s on set an ungodly number of hours and have to steal sleep (or toilet breaks) anywhere they can. The reliance on post-production – effects, colour grading, editing – to fix everything on such short notice leading to overworked VFX crew, ballooning budgets, and substandard quality. 

Without a doubt, there are a lot of in-your-face nods to modern pop culture. Filling the sort of bad guy of the story is a Kevin Feige-type executive producer – down to the baseball cap and jacket – with a godlike authority over the production. There are also lots of commentaries on how modern Hollywood treats its movies. Sometimes, this stuff sounds like something you’d hear cinephiles say on X or Letterboxd, but then again, superheroes are rooted in nerdy comic culture so… po-tay-toes, po-tah-toes?

And then, there are the rarely talked about behind-the-scenes details that feel a little too specific to be something a writer makes up. The lead actors being petty over their numbers on the call sheet. The AD bearing the brunt of the producer’s wrath meant for the director and actors. Diva actors who are actually the most insecure persons in private. Luxurious buffet spreads while the production is running out of budgets. A producer ordering and then cancelling an emergency meeting as a display of a passive aggressive power play. A director having a severe breakdown that he only agrees to direct via a walkie talkie from his trailer. These are things you heard whispered about but never really confirm, and the show weaves in these details with such pointed realism that you cannot help but wonder if they actually came from experience.

Overall, The Franchise, with a great supporting cast that also includes Jessica Hynes (The Royle Family) as a script supervisor, Richard E. Grant (The Outlaws) as a seasoned British actor, Billy Magnussen (Made for Love) as the self-conscious lead actor and Lolly Adefope (Ghosts) as a sharp-witted third assistant director does a great job finding the humour in the nightmarish logistics of pulling off a superheroes blockbuster with all its fanciful paraphernalia. Its satirical tone deftly balances the tongue-in-cheek approach with some heartfelt moments that dig deep into why, oh why, would these people choose to hang onto a trainwreck of a production to the bitter end. If you are a film lover who is into the beautiful chaos that is moviemaking, this is for you. If you enjoy workplace comedy where absolutely nothing ever goes right (but in a hilarious, acerbic way), this is also for you.