HBO has chosen not to proceed with a second season of the superhero movie satire, The Franchise, created and produced by Jon Brown, with Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci as additional executive producers.
An HBO spokesperson conveyed to Deadline that they appreciated working with the talented team behind The Franchise, including Sam Mendes, Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci, and the cast. Although there won’t be a new season, they express interest in future collaborations with the team.
The announcement to discontinue the show came shortly after the conclusion of the first season of The Franchise on November 24. It wasn’t unexpected as comedies focusing on show business can struggle to find a following. Despite receiving positive reviews (with a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), The Franchise didn’t manage to secure a spot in Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings.
Iannucci, who has a long-standing partnership with HBO, previously created and executive produced the critically acclaimed series Veep as well as the sci-fi comedy Avenue 5.
The first season of The Franchise consisted of eight episodes and followed the crew behind a struggling franchise movie as they navigated the chaotic and unpredictable world of superhero filmmaking. According to the official description, the series explored the “secret chaos” of creating superhero blockbusters, asking, “how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made?” It humorously asserts that “every f*ck-up has an origin story.”
The show featured an ensemble cast including Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, and Isaac Powell, with recurring appearances by Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl.
Brown served as executive producer alongside Iannucci through his Dundee Productions banner, and Mendes via Neal Street Productions, his All3Media-backed company. Mendes, who originated the concept, directed the pilot episode. Additional executive producers for Neal Street included Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor.
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