Official announcements from HBO or Sam Mendes' representatives

HBO Cancels Superhero Satire 'The Franchise' After One Season, Created by Jon Brown and Produced by Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci

Jan 3, 2025, 11:14 PM

HBO has canceled the superhero movie satire series 'The Franchise' after one season, which consisted of 8 episodes and concluded with its finale on November 24. The series, which premiered in the fall, was created by Jon Brown and executive produced by Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci. Despite positive reviews, including a 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 'The Franchise' did not achieve the desired audience traction and failed to crack Nielsen's Top 10 streaming rankings. The show starred Himesh Patel as a first assistant director on a superhero movie set, with Aya Cash, Jessica Hynes, Billy Magnussen, Lolly Adefope, Darren Goldstein, and Isaac Powell rounding out the ensemble cast. Recurring cast members included Richard E. Grant and Daniel Brühl. The series was set behind the scenes of a superhero film called 'Tecto: Eye of the Storm' and aimed to satirize the superhero genre and Hollywood's focus on IP-driven content. HBO expressed gratitude for the opportunity to work with the talented team behind 'The Franchise' and looks forward to future collaborations with them.