Plot: “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, asking how exactly the cinematic sausage gets made. Every mistake has an origin story.
Season 1 of The Franchise was both hilarious and disappointing.
Pros: It succeeds making how studios handles these superhero franchises. They don’t hold back with the puns and jokes & many of the production insanities are quite true what you hear in real life.
Cons: Most to all the jokes didn’t work for me that much which that’s a shame. A lot of the characters I didn’t relate to me & many plotlines didn’t shine that well.
Created by Jon Brown
Starring: Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant & Daniel Brühl.
Music by Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jeff Cardoni
Executive producers: Armando Iannucci, Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris, Jon Brown, , Marina Hyde, Keith Akushie, Nicolas Brown, Julie Pastor, Tony Roche, Jim Kleverweis
Program creators: Sam Mendes, Armando Iannucci,
Cinematography: Carl Herse
Producers: Juli Weiner, Dillon Mapletoft, Dean O’Toole
Production companies: Neal Street Productions, Dundee Productions
Network: HBO
Casts & Characters:
Main:
- Himesh Patel as Daniel Kumar, the overworked first assistant director who juggles the film’s chaotic demands, trying to keep the project on track while secretly caring more about the superhero genre than he admits
- Aya Cash as Anita, the ambitious new producer and Daniel’s ex, focused on using the project as a springboard to more prestigious films, often clashing with Daniel’s earnestness
- Jessica Hynes as Steph, a devoted script supervisor and staunch supporter of the director’s “vision,” even when it leads to absurdity on set
- Billy Magnussen as Adam Randolph, Tecto’s self-conscious lead actor, whose eccentric fitness regimens and insecurities clash with his superhero persona
- Lolly Adefope as Dagmara “Dag” Nwaeze, the sharp-witted third assistant director, who sees through the industry’s pretensions and frequently delivers biting commentary
- Darren Goldstein as Pat Shannon, a brash studio representative who enforces studio interests, often derailing the production with last-minute directives
- Isaac Powell as Bryson, the frazzled go-between for the studio head Shane, tasked with conveying outlandish directives to the set
- Richard E. Grant as Peter Fairchild, a seasoned British actor playing “Eye,” bringing both disdain and theatrical flair to his role
- Daniel Brühl as Eric Bouchard, the highbrow director with an inflated ego and endless tweaks, unfit for the blockbuster studio system
Recurring:
- Justin Edwards as Rufus Maley, a featured extra
- Ruaridh Mollica as Jax Cox
- George Fouracres as Dave, the VFX artist
Guest:
- Urs Rechn as Horst Sommer
- Alex Gaumond as Justin Barrett, the original producer
- Katherine Waterston as Quinn Walker, the actress playing the Lilac Ghost
- Nick Kroll as Kyle, the actor playing the Gurgler who has a past with Adam
I worse skip this series.
Rating: 4 out of 10 Stars
Ryan Balkwill:
Resident Film reviewer,
Level Best Art Cafe