Filmmakers Armando Iannucci and Sam Mendes are set to team up on the HBO comedy pilot ‘The Franchise.’
The half-hour project takes a wry look at superhero movie-making. It follows a hopeful crew trapped inside the dysfunctional, nonsensical, joyous hellscape of franchise superhero movie-making. If and when they finally make the day, the question they must face — is this Hollywood’s new dawn or cinema’s last stand? Is this a dream factory or a chemical plant?
The pilot story was created by Jon Brown, Keith Akushie and Iannucci and the pilot was written by Brown and Akushie. Brown will also serve as showrunner.
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The Franchise will be exec produced by Iannucci, via his Dundee Productions banner, and Mendes, via his All3Media-backed production company Neal Street Productions. The Oscar-winner Mendes, who hatched the idea, will also direct.
Marina Hyde, who writes a column in The Guardian newspaper, will write and executive produce alongside Keith Akushie, a co-exec producer and writer for season two of Avenue 5.
Neal Street’s Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown and Julie Pastor will also exec produce.
