It is a truth (Cinematic) universally acknowledged that we are living in the age of the superhero blockbuster. The MCU, the DCU, SPUMC, — you name it, a studio big-wig somewhere is trying to figure out how many spandex-clad sequels, sidequels, spin-offs, and streaming series it can get out of it. It's somewhat surprising then that a proper satirical swipe at the current state of play in modern franchise filmmaking hasn't already happened. But with the arrival of Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci produced HBO/Sky Comedy series The Franchise however, all that is about to change. Starring Himesh Patel, Billy Magnussen, Aya Cash, and Daniel Brühl among many others, the show — if its freshly dropped first trailer is anything to go by — is set to shine a less-than-flattering light on the superhero moviemaking process. Check it out below;
Crashing golf carts! Billy Magnusson asking if Himesh Patel buys his portrayal of "a guy who can make earthquakes happen"! Blue screens, big explosions, and lots of fraught-looking faces! As Vin Diesel once so eloquently said, "The movies!" Now admittedly, this first look at The Franchise is more a sizzle reel of franchise fun-poking bits than anything too meaty to chew on at this stage, but it's already clear to see that the Warner Bros. Discovery produced show — created and executive produced by Succession writer Jon Brown — has its finger very much on the pulse of the chaos that goes on behind the scenes of a mega budget blockbuster. When Patel's filmmaker Daniel shouts "We must shoot! We will shoot!" during the trailer's fireball climax, you get the distinct impression his strained yelps have been the famous last words of many a moviemaker in recent years.
Here's the series' official synopsis: “[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 fuck-up has an origin story.”
After some tumultuous times in recent years over at both Marvel and DC Studios, the two comic book cinema juggernauts' fortunes have turned in recent months as James Gunn's all-new DCU starts to take shape and the MCU barrels towards the finale of its Multiverse Saga. We'll see whether The Franchise can land a couple of punches up at the genre giants — or if it'll crash and burn, DCEU style — when the series hits Sky on 21 October.