Filming a movie in general takes a committed team and a clear-cut vision to execute what has been written on the page. A franchise installment is another beast entirely, especially one as part of a larger cinematic universe. At its best, new HBO series The Franchise emulates short-lived Reboot in its approach to the ridiculousness of dealing with a studio and all its moving parts. Oscar-winner Sam Mendes, Emmy-winner Armando Iannucci, and Emmy-winner Jon Brown set their cinematic sights on parodying big-budget filmmaking. Chronicling a behind-the-scenes satire of the film industry, this show focuses on the chaotic and frequently absurd production of fictional blockbuster, Tecto: Eye of the Storm. Grounded by its committed ensemble of performers and comprised of eight half-hour episodes, The Franchise endlessly entertains despite a noticeable lack of depth.
We enter The Franchise already over thirty days into the shooting schedule of Tecto, with too many bold personalities to wrap one’s head around. Eric (Daniel Bruhl), the director, certainly has a vision, though whether it gels with the needs of a studio is another matter entirely. Assistant director, Daniel (Himesh Patel), has the unenviable task of keeping Eric in line whilst secretly taking the reigns whenever necessary. Over them are girlboss and voice of reason Anita (Aya Cash), obnoxious studio exec Pat (Darren Goldstein), and of course, Bryson (Isaac Powell), the mouthpiece of millionaire Shane, who we never hear but who always lords over the production from afar through Bryson. On the actor side, insecure dreamboat Adam (Billy Magnussen) constantly clashes with his onscreen nemesis, Peter (Richard E. Grant).
A sole focus on the actual actors within the production of Tecto may be preferable to some, but I really admired what Mendes and company manage to achieve in highlighting the unsung and overworked of the industry. A shy personal assistant (Ruaridh Mollica) and one who gives surprisingly great advice (Lolly Adefope) are both surprising scene-stealers; even lighting and sound are included. The biggest laugh for me actually came courtesy of VFX artist Dave, who at one point accidentally shows the directors a composite of a “personal project” he made—an animated sequence of him slamming his head against the computer over and over again. Still, these are but a cog of the movie-making machine.
Despite episodes only clocking in around thirty minutes in length—with a minimum of a minute and a half devoted to faux behind-the-scenes snippets of interviews with this fake movie’s “cast and crew”—the pacing still feels rather miscalculated. By the time some of the funnier bits are set up, their concept ends unceremoniously. Each episode hones in on an unfortunate event within the context of the film. The challenges of production are many, and the series takes aim at them, however far-fetched some of its ideas may seem. Perhaps actors really do have erection problems in their costumes, or accidentally killing an endangered species is a commonplace occurrence. Hell, even an accident such as botching a planned sequence by erroneously detonating an explosion have happened at least once in the storied Hollywood history. Those with industry know-how will benefit over than those without it, especially considering the direction The Franchise takes in further episodes.
Mainly focused on lampooning the egos and contradictions of the cinema industry, there is just enough material to play out over a shortened season. Sam Mendes messes with genre expectations, and the layered scripts give its ensemble unlimited opportunity for improvisation. Its movie-within-a-movie seems almost too absurd to emulate anything happening in post-Marvel Cinematic Universe peak. Still, I would happily watch if that meant seeing the finished product to this madness. No reshoots are needed—The Franchise safely swings at the tropes of long-running series with the assured touches of award-winning creatives.
Follow the grueling 117-day shoot of Tecto when The Franchise launches on HBO and Max at 10pm on October 6th.
