‘The Franchise,’ Superhero Comedy From ‘Veep’ Creator Armando Iannucci, Drops First Stressful Teaser

If you thought Marvel movies were stressful, you ain’t seen nothing yet. HBO dropped the first teaser for “The Franchise,” the premium cable network’s upcoming high-pressure comedy about creating a superhero franchise in Hollywood. The series will premiere on Oct. 6.

The upcoming show comes from Armando Iannucci, best known for creating “Veep” and “The Thick of It,” as well as Sam Mendes (“Skyfall,” “American Beauty”) and Jon Brown (“Succession,” “Avenue 5”).

“Just another 83 days, and then we’re done,” Himesh Patel as Daniel says in the teaser while rushing down a hall with people filing after him. “I’d savor every moment.”

As is typically the case with Iannucci’s work, it’s difficult to know how much of that statement is rooted in truth and how much is sarcasm thinly masking an impending mental breakdown. That manic tone continues throughout the teaser as characters call this movie everything from “a scrotum resting on a razor’s edge” to something that requires eating “a Subway footlong full of turds.” Despite all that anxiety, when a representative from the studio checks on the production team, they’re all cheery fake smiles.

“Be straight with me: Do you buy me as a guy who can make earthquakes happen?” Adam (Billy Magnussen), the star of this fictional superhero movie, asks Daniel.

“You are the greatest actor who ever lived,” Daniel responds. When Adam asks “Really?” the deadpan response comes, “Don’t make me repeat myself because I won’t.” Watch the first teaser above.

In addition to Patel and Magnussen, “The Franchise” also stars Jessica Hynes (“Spaced”), Darren Goldstein (“Ozark”), Lolly Adefope (“Shrill), Isaac Cole Powell (“American Horror Story”) and Aya Cash (“You’re the Worst”). Richard E. Grant (“Saltburn”), Daniel Brühl (“Rush”) and Ruaridh Mollica (“Witness Number 3”) also star in recurring roles.

This will mark the third HBO series created by Iannucci following “Veep” and “Avenue 5.” “Veep” ran for seven seasons from 2012-2019 with Iannucci showrunning the first four seasons of the show. The series won consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series following its fourth, fifth and sixth seasons. As for its star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus won six consecutive Emmys for her role.

“Avenue 5” didn’t see nearly as much success. The sci-fi comedy about the captain of an  interplanetary cruise ship ran for two seasons before it was canceled in 2023.

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