‘The Franchise’ Laughs at the Madness of Superhero Blockbusters With More Truth Than Satire 

Alci Rengifo

It is no secret that ever since “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight,” superheroes have dominated pop culture. Those who are not fans, and even casual viewers, have despaired over film and television being consumed by adults in tights running around CGI backdrops. They might just be the perfect audience waiting for some respite in the form of HBO’s “The Franchise.” It is a satire with the feel of a near-documentary, mocking with empathy the massive enterprises that operate behind modern blockbusters. Early buzz has revolved around its insider feel when jabbing at Marvel and DC, yet “The Franchise” is also a fun series on the stress of helming a big movie.

The “hero” of the series is Daniel (Himesh Patel), who inhabits the post of first assistant director on “Tecto: Eye of the Storm,” the latest in a major studio’s franchise machine. His job is to keep things moving for director Eric (Daniel Brühl), an auteur determined to bring some vision to this popcorn opus. “Tecto” stars Adam (Billy Magnussen) as the title character, battling insecurities behind the scenes from feeling physically inadequate. His co-star, Peter (Richard E. Grant), is an aged thespian scoffing at everything about this childish project. The stress increases when studio suit Pat (Darren Goldstein) arrives to keep things in line for his corporate bosses. His first major order of business is to fire the original producer and bring in Anita (Aya Cash), Eric’s former girlfriend. The challenges then just keep rolling in, from missing props to sudden script changes and quick stabs at inclusivity.

Created by Armando Iannucci, whose best work brims with political satire, acclaimed director Sam Mendes and Jon Brown, “The Franchise” never gets too savage but hits the right funny bone. As a series it is certainly made for our times, yet is overall enjoyable as a chortle about the very nature of shooting any kind of studio production. Making a major feature entails keeping in order vast crews, logistics, money, and of course, raging egos. We viewers are essentially following the camera as it eavesdrops on the madness. For anyone who has ever been on a set, large or small, the banter and anxiety is engaging enough. Even funnier, it quickly becomes apparent to Eric that his film is considered the underdog in the studio’s slate. In a neighboring soundstage the franchise tent pole is being filmed by one of those directors who uses a pseudonym, with his own elevated private tower and monitors. Pat even nonchalantly lets a stunned Anita know his invisible Kevin Feige-inspired boss is cutting down on superhero films, since fans seem tired out. He assures her she won’t be blamed if “Tecto” bombs. She can only lament that she turned down Sofia Coppola for this admittedly lucrative job.

The creators claim a lot of “The Franchise” was inspired by anonymous accounts of life on Marvel sets. This is not hard to believe and a lot of the show sounds like those entertaining, oral histories that get published all the time charting a movie’s production. More than stinging satire, that would be a good approach to the material. What should be hilarious rings unnervingly true to what probably goes on behind the curtain. Tragically awkward Adam obsesses over the physique of other major stars, admitting to Daniel that he’s taking medication meant for sheep to stay bulked. As a result, weird acne and white hair begins to appear on his back. He’s constantly bullied by Peter, who looks down at the younger, model-faced actor. Eric obsesses over a crystal prop meant to represent the subtext of “Tecto,” when it gets stolen by the bigger film next door, he has a meltdown. Third assistant director Dag (Lolly Adefope) is pitifully dutiful, trying to climb the ladder by acting like a fan girl with everyone. Other moments are slightly edgier in openly jabbing at the Marvel-dominated zone of Hollywood. Pat claims superhero fatigue is a scam. He’s openly sexist while making Anita push a new, “feminist” script change on Eric at the last minute. Hanging over everything is the outside pressure of fan bases which can ruin a movie with posts on social media. Don’t forget demands for product placement. Daniel soon has to figure out how to include a Chinese tractor brand in the cosmic comic book movie.

The characters of “The Franchise” are likable as an assortment of aspiring directors like Daniel, thespians who need to get paid, tortured artists and corporate suits who just want to keep the ship steaming ahead. Their career choices just happened to coincide with this particular era in film where superhero franchises became a phenomenon. Satirical references in the dialogue are barely veiled (“ComiCon”) while others, like Martin Scorsese’s famous slam of the comic book movie genre, are directly included. The writing has fun jabbing at the very nature of these movies at times. While standing in front of a green screen, Peter keeps wondering how his and Adam’s characters would hear each other talk over the sci-fi waterfall that will be included later. We never wonder about such things while watching an MCU mammoth on the screen. Hollywood has always been a delicate balance of art and commerce. Entertaining audiences is what comes first, because that means profits. “The Franchise” peeks at how that marriage has been working, while remembering real people without super powers make it all work.

“The Franchise” season one premiers Oct. 6 and airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.