The Franchise
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 on Sky Comedy in the UK on 21 October.
It is available to stream on Sky Comedy and NOW.
Will I still be able to watch The Franchise on Sky with HBO Max launching?
Don’t worry – you won’t miss a thing.
Sky Atlantic will continue to air upcoming seasons of much-loved HBO shows that have previously aired on Sky, including House of the Dragon, The Last of Us and The White Lotus alongside homegrown Sky Originals and exclusive Peacock Originals straight from the US.
Plus, if you have Sky Ultimate TV or Sky Q with an eligible package, you will have HBO Max Basic with Ads included as part of your Sky subscription. So not only will you still have a full back catalogue of your favourite series – including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Friends – but you’ll also get brand new HBO Max Original titles like the Emmy Award-winning The Pitt. Sky+ customers will also be able to watch HBO Max Basic with Ads content through their home page.
But we’re not stopping there. From March 2026, Sky is bringing together HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+ and (from July 2026) Hayu all under a single subscription. That means millions of existing customers will get unrivalled access to unmissable entertainment as part of their Sky TV subscription!
For more information on how Sky TV is getting even better – click here!
And what about NOW subscribers?
This March, existing NOW Entertainment customers will get HBO Max Basic with Ads included in their membership at no extra cost and fully integrated into the NOW platform, bringing even more must-see series from HBO Max alongside Sky Originals and exclusive US shows. HBO Max Basic with Ads will drop into your membership automatically, so you don’t need to do a thing.
