The Franchiseis a comic take on the making of a superhero film from many who have seen it firsthand. Its three showrunners—Veep’s Gino Iannucci,Successionwriter Jon Brown, and Skyfall director Sam Mendes—boast a collective wealth of blockbuster and comedy experience, ensuring an authentic, if chaotic, take on the making of a franchise film. The satirical series will unfold over the course of eight episodes, during which the completion of its fictional superhero filmTecto: Eye of the Stormwill undoubtedly be in question.
The new series includes characters from many different aspects of film production.Station Eleven’s Himesh Patelplays Daniel Kumar, a first assistant director struggling to hold the project together. Aya Cash (The Boys) is Daniel’s ex-girlfriend and movie producer Anita, and Billy Magnussen plays the up-and-coming star of the film, Adam. The three will all have to compete with egotistical directors and the chaotic shooting schedule of a too-big-to-fail blockbuster.
The Franchise Star Compares His MCU Experience To HBO’s Chaotic Superhero Movie Satire
EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Brühl addresses the differences between HBO’s satirical comedy series The Franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Screen Rantinterviewed Himesh Patel, Aya Cash, andCoup!star Billy Magnussenabout their work onThe Franchise. The three discussed the personalities of their respective characters and praised the series’ sharp writing. They also spoke about their experience working with showrunners Sam Mendes and Jon Brown, and shared their thoughts about their other collaborators on the series.
Himesh Patel, Aya Cash & Billy Magnussen On The Quirks Of Their Characters In The Franchise
“There’s No Denying That Any Film Set Is An Absurd Place To Be”
Screen Rant: Himesh, I started off as a set PA, so I look at Daniel as my guiding light. Even though the job has banged him up and tossed him around, he still has this glimmer of hope in him. Can you talk about balancing the comedy with the more serious aspects of the film industry portrayed in the series?
Himesh Patel: In terms of balancing it, the thing with the way that the show is written, and the tone of it, is that all we can do is play the truth of anyone’s circumstances at any point. We just concentrate on the dialogue and the circumstances of what make it so absurd and hilarious. I think that’s kind of what we’re aiming for here. We’re celebrating what the show is and what the people who make the show are, but there’s no denying that any film set is an absurd place to be.
Aya, how does your character, Anita, navigate the challenges of her role given the sacrifices she’s made to get that job?
Aya Cash: I think she’s deeply ambitious, and this is the best opportunity for her to get where she’s going. But she doesn’t think she’s landing here, and over the series, she starts to question that because of the people and because of the work that they’ve put in.
It’s like she comes in with a little attitude, thinking it’s below her, and then realizes like, “Oh no, maybe this is…” I’m a firm believer that art can be created anywhere, given the opportunity, and so she starts to see that there are real artists here who might have the potential to do something she’s really passionate about as well. I think she sort of shifts over the season.
Billy, can you talk to me about bringing depth to Adam, who is a rising star and number one on the call sheet?
Billy Magnussen: I think everyone’s complicated as a human. Every character that exists is complicated. Having brilliant writers, as we had on this show, it’s kind of in the language as you go there. But I think, with my 20 years in the industry, it lives in every actor as they move through this process. The insecurity of being enough and showing up to every new project is like, “I’m going to attempt to create something here, and I’m insecure. I don’t know what it’s going to come out as.” I think that’s the artistic process for a lot of people in this industry. It stems from a place of insecurity and vulnerability.
It’s a sacred space, honestly. Stage, film, television… When you’re acting, it is a very sacred space where you have to be able to be vulnerable in and show your true colors, show what you’re feeling, and the insecurity. I’m proud to say loudly that it’s not as glitz and glamor as people think. It costs something for people over and over again.
Patel Discusses Working With Sam Mendes & Jon Brown
Brown & Mendes Were Key To Shaping The Tone Of The Show
Himesh, Sam and Jon do such an incredible job of crafting this show. Can you talk about working with them as collaborators?
Himesh Patel: When we sat down for our first table read, [Jon] introduced himself and welcomed everyone—obviously, as the showrunner—and he said, “Yes, the show we’re making is about the madness of doing this, and that people can be very spiky and kind of horrible to each other at times because that’s the world of the comedy that we’re creating. [But] I don’t want that to be the tone of our set. I want us to lead with kindness.” I thought that was really wonderful that he set that tone, and he followed through with that. He’s a wonderful person. He’s a very kind and gentle person, and I think he clearly leaves his spiky comebacks for the page, as far as I’m aware. He was a great person to have leading us through the whole show.
And Sam… what a privilege to work with him on the pilot. He’s one of those leaders [where] you’re able to tell why he’s such a successful and brilliant director. Beyond his artistic vision, [you see] the way that he commands a set, and the way that he made sure that everyone knew what we were aiming for. Especially when it comes to something like the opening shot that’s so technically complicated and technically complex. I think with any other director, it might’ve been quite difficult to land that one, but I think we all felt pretty secure.
Cash Reflects On How The Franchise Will Relate With Audiences
“People Will Appreciate How Insane It Is”
In what ways do you think The Franchise will resonate with both movie industry insiders and the general audience?
Aya Cash: I think in movie industry, people are going to just love it because it’s a celebration of all the people that we never see make the movies, and that’s really exciting and fun. But ultimately, this is a workplace comedy. Our workplace is movies, and they always say the more specific you get, the more universal it is. I think we’re creating this specific workplace, and people will appreciate how insane it is.
Magnussen Praises His Legendary Co-Star, Richard E. Grant
“I F***ing Love That Guy,” The Actor Gushes (And We All Agree)
Billy, you get to share the screen with Richard E. Grant. He’s hilarious as Peter, and I love the dynamic. Can you talk to me about how Peter challenges Adam as the series progresses and their dynamic?
Billy Magnussen: Oh, I think it happens naturally on things with seasoned veterans. I’ve been in rooms with people that are, let’s say, higher clout or whatever. They make you feel insecure, like you’re not valuable enough. But the trust and love that Richard and I have together made it so easy to go like, “Oh, we’re only poking fun at this.”
My journey with Richard has been a delight—a treat. He’s a teddy bear, and I f**king love that guy. I hope you can see that we hate each other on screen, but it’s there. It’s just a fun little playground to work with him.
The Franchise Stars On The Importance Of The Show’s Scripts
What did you each want to bring to your roles that went beyond the page?
Himesh Patel: In a sense, it’s that element of humanity that I know that Jon wanted to be at the heart of this show. It wasn’t just a cold satire about something—it’s about the humanity of this crew of people who are trying to make something work. That was something that I was keen to do with Daniel because it’s such an opportunity.
These are people who are so important to anything that gets made and filmed and shown to an audience. You could think of anything from a huge blockbuster to a soap that everyone enjoys every day. They’ve all got a first AD. They’ve all got a second and third AD. They’ve all got PAs, and so I wanted to make sure that we see these people as fully as possible. My responsibility is with my character, and I wanted to make sure that we brought those elements to him every step of the way.
Aya Cash: I was just thinking that’s an interesting question because I think the page is everything, and what you see on the page is how you play the role. That’s why we get so many different interpretations of a role—people just see different things in the page. I can’t say there’s something that I brought that wasn’t on the page. It’s stuff I saw in the page, and then you add in the little magical element of working with somebody. It just brings something in the moment that you don’t expect, and then you react differently. That’s the little extra element.
Billy Magnussen: Both their answers are fantastic, and I’m completely in accord with what they’re saying. For me, with entertainment nowadays, the only thing I can hope that comes off the page through our performance and the chemistry that the ensemble has had is that people at home or wherever can share it with someone in their life. [I hope] they just talk about it with each other and just share a good time with each other. I miss that from entertainment; it was an event. It was always something you shared with people, family, friends, anything that you just sit down and laugh with each other. That’s really what I want.
More About The Franchise Season 1
The Franchise is a Max original comedy television series that follows a film crew as they document their increasingly chaotic and hectic work on a Superhero film franchise. Acting as a satire on the industry, the show looks to lampoon the process and the sometimes unreasonable expectations of keeping a long-standing franchise alive and kicking.
Check out our otherThe Franchiseinterviews:
The Franchisepremieres October 6 on HBO at 10pm ET and will be available to stream on Max.
