Marvel/DC Parody Series THE FRANCHISE Starring THE BOYS' Aya Cash In The Works At HBO

Marvel/DC Parody Series THE FRANCHISE Starring THE BOYS' Aya Cash In The Works At HBO

HBO is developing a new Marvel/DC parody series titled The Franchise from Sam Mendes (Skyfall), Armando Iannucci (Veep) and showrunner Jon Brown (Succession), and starring The Boys alum Aya Cash...

By MarkCassidy - Aug 09, 2023 01:08 PM EST
Filed Under: Marvel

Many fans have been waiting a very long time to see some kind of live-action Marvel/DC crossover, but for now, they'll have to make do with seeing both comic book giants lambasted at the same time on the small screen!

THR reports that a new parody series that will examine the notion of "superhero fatigue" titled The Franchise is in the works for HBO. The show is being developed as a half-hour comedy series, which will go behind-the-scenes of a fictional struggling superhero movie.

The official description reads: “The crew of an unloved franchise movie fight for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The Franchise 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 [frick]-up has an origin story.”

Himesh Patel (Yesterday) and Aya Cash (The Boys) are set to star, along with Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, Isaac Powell, Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl.

The project hails from Sam Mendes (Skyfall), with Armando Iannucci (Veep) and Jon Brown (Succession, Veep) on board as showrunners.

“With a deft touch only he can bring, Sam has brilliantly captured the romance and the reality of filmmaking today,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vp of HBO Programming. “Jon is superb at sending up worlds we think we already know. Together, with Armando, they have delivered a truly hilarious comedy ensemble. I can’t wait to see more.”

Though work on the pilot was completed before the SAG-AFTRA strike began last month, production will not recommence until the strikes have concluded.

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TheVandalore
TheVandalore - 8/9/2023, 1:40 PM
Hm... Not in love with the idea of further oversaturation, but honestly both main companies are currently in the toilet so a little new blood to creatively infect something different might be nice. I just don't want more surface level deconstructions of the medium. If they truly have something unique to offer us, let's go. But we will know immediately if this is worth our time.
Doomsday8888
Doomsday8888 - 8/9/2023, 1:41 PM
@TheVandalore
Damn, you said everything i had in mind, lel.
KaptainKhaos
KaptainKhaos - 8/9/2023, 1:46 PM
You know what I have fatigue from?, Uncreative parody shows like this
JimMoriarty
JimMoriarty - 8/9/2023, 4:22 PM
@KaptainKhaos - Ya know what I have fatigue from? Malatrovaa's comments...Aside from that I agree with you brotha/sista. Just being safe😐
TheNewYorker
TheNewYorker - 8/9/2023, 1:47 PM
Sounds like shit.
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 8/9/2023, 1:50 PM
Skyfall is easily one of the best Bond flicks ever, and Succession was quality throughout its entire run. Optimistic about this.
HAILHYDRA
HAILHYDRA - 8/9/2023, 1:52 PM
Making fun of a genre while also trying to cash in on its popularity isn’t clever. It’s creatively bankrupt.
Godzilla2000Zer
Godzilla2000Zer - 8/9/2023, 1:55 PM
Im interested
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 8/9/2023, 2:05 PM
Isn’t that basically The Boys? 🤨
GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/9/2023, 2:05 PM
Sounds meh. Arriving at a point where there's fatigue with the very thing its parodying
thedrudo
thedrudo - 8/9/2023, 2:15 PM
Sounds average but the cast is great.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 8/9/2023, 2:19 PM
Has a great team behind it but I probably won't watch. Also, OT:

Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 8/9/2023, 4:20 PM
@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - [frick]ing hell, did they actually try to write a script for this or is it all just cool "pew pew" and "bang bang".

It's too bad because the action and visuals are really impressive, what a waste.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 8/9/2023, 6:14 PM
@Usernametaken - Yeah, not feeling it.
Usernametaken
Usernametaken - 8/9/2023, 6:41 PM
@THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - John Wick success is weird to me.
The first movie I get, it was a simple but fun story, they killed the "grim reaper"'s dog, and he's coming back for revenge. And it's fun to see bad guys discover why and how much they [frick]ed up as we also discover how much of a badass he is.

But after that, those movies needed proper scripts and dialogues, but all they're focused on is the aesthetic and the action scenes.

But what's the point of having action without character motivation?
CapA
CapA - 8/9/2023, 2:19 PM
Armando Iannucci is on board, I'm there !
Fares
Fares - 8/9/2023, 2:24 PM
I'm interested
SheepishOne
SheepishOne - 8/9/2023, 2:55 PM
This seems to aim more at the actual filmmaking process than the film itself, which is pretty cool.

As much as we like to whine on this site about superhero fatigue, quantity over quantity, and big cinematic whiffs, I'd have thought there would be more interest in watching something that looks at the genre from a behind the scenes perspective, even if it's making fun of the process.
Forthas
Forthas - 8/9/2023, 2:59 PM
This is going to blow up in their face! They are almost certainly going to satirize the fanbase and elicit more scorn from them. In addition, they would need to heavily satirize themselves for the premise to work which I don't think they would do. But if they did, this is what James Gunn should be doing as opposed to heading up DC. He is better at making dark satirical comedy like the Boys and this show based on the premise.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 8/9/2023, 3:41 PM
@Forthas - Problem is, I don't think James Gunn understands why the DCEU failed. So he's the last person I'd want to see tackle this.

If the series has the insight to point out how there is a wrong way and a right way to do a cinematic universe and this one studio refuses to admit that to themselves and continues to try and reinvent the process, failing each and every time, then Gunn's DCU will become collateral damage by default.

It'd be interesting to see if WBD let them make such insights. But I don't think any studio head would understand such satire. If they did then they'd be aware of what they've been doing wrong and they would do it like Marvel (ab ovo, solo films leading to crossover movie) but they have yet to do so, which means they're clueless, which means this show will probably get away with murder. Which means the DCU might come under the firing line simply by pointing out where the DCEU failed.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 8/9/2023, 3:35 PM
Finally! They're finally giving us the DCEU documentary we've all been craving, lol.
TheHumanSpider2
TheHumanSpider2 - 8/9/2023, 3:44 PM
I'm getting some SERIOUS "ok boomer" vibes from this...
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