Everything you need to know about The Franchise
The Franchise is a satirical comedy taking aim at superhero franchise movies and the chaos behind-the-scenes to create them.
Based (very) loosely on real stories and experiences from some of the world’s biggest movie universes, The Franchise follows a team of creatives as they try to get their superhero film off the ground.
However, with studio interference, creative differences, actor demands and personal issues all going on at the same time, it’s hard to keep it all together.
Not to mention that this franchise isn’t exactly loved, meaning they have to fight even harder to get things off the ground.
The cast is filled with famous faces, many of which have previously been attached to superhero universes themselves.
The Franchise is created by Sam Mendes (who directs the first episode), Armando Iannucci (who is responsible for satires including The Thick of It and Veep) and Jon Brown.
Watch the trailer
Who stars in The Franchise?
The main stars of the series include:
- Himesh Patel (Yesterday, Station Eleven, EastEnders) as Daniel
- Aya Cash (The Boys, The Girl From Plainville) as Anita
- Jessica Hynes (The Royle Family, Spaced) as Steph
- Billy Magnussen (No Time To Die, Road House) as Adam
- Lolly Adefope (Ghosts, Miracle Workers) as Dag
- Darren Goldstein (The Affair, Ozark) as Pat
- Isaac Powell (American Horror Story, Dear Evan Hansen) as Bryson
- Richard E. Grant (Loki, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) as Peter
- Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War, Inglourious Basterds) as Eric
- Ruaridh Mollica (Ridley, Sexy Beast) as Jaz
How many episodes of The Franchise are there?
Season one of The Franchise launched in 2024 and ran for eight episodes.
Each episode runs for approximately 30 minutes each.
In January 2025, it was confirmed the series would not return for a second season.
A HBO spokesperson said: "We’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the tremendously talented team behind The Franchise, especially Sam Mendes, Jon Brown, Armando Iannucci, and this hilarious ensemble of actors.
“While we won’t be moving forward with another season, we look forward to collaborating with all of them in the future."
What is the age rating of The Franchise?
The Franchise in the UK is certified 15 by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
This means the show has been considered unsuitable for younger audiences including children and young teenagers.
Reasons for this rating is due to the show containing:
Frequent use of profane language
Sexual innuendo and euphemism for comedic effect
Scenes of violence for comedic effect
Scenes of peril or threat in the context of comedic effect
How to watch The Franchise?
The Franchise premiered exclusively on Sky Comedy on 21 October.
It is available to stream on Sky Comedy and NOW.
In the US, it aired on HBO MAX from 6 October.
Will I still be able to watch The Franchise on Sky with HBO Max launching?
Yes!
If you’re already a Sky subscriber, you will get complete continuity of the service at no extra cost via the Max app. The new deal means Sky and NOW customers benefit from more content through bundled access to the streaming service that will exclusively feature new HBO Original and Max Original shows and more.
And in the case of The Franchise and a range of other series, as part of Sky’s new deal with HBO, customers will continue to find shows such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, and any new series aired before the end of 2025, on Sky Atlantic and through Sky’s On Demand service.
Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO of Sky Studios and chief content officer of Sky, said: “What’s really good about the deal that we struck is that if you’re a Sky subscriber, at no additional cost, you will have access to the Max app within your Sky platform. So, if you’re already a Sky subscriber, you have complete continuity of service. Actually, you probably have more because Max will have more content than what we have today with the HBO shows and the Warner Bros. films.
“It’s going to be completely seamless for those customers, so you’ll have a really rich experience, and that’s at no additional cost.
“Any show that we’ve had historically on our channels you’ll continue to get on the channels, including future seasons of The Last of Us and The White Lotus.”
And what about NOW TV?
In addition, NOW UK and Ireland Entertainment members will also receive bundled access to the ad-supported version of Max, seamlessly integrated into the NOW experience alongside other premium content. They will also continue to get the existing series which were available on Sky as part of their subscription.
