Review of Armando Iannucci's comedy about the making of a superhero comedy

It’s got a sprawling cast, a big budget and origination from the collective minds of a veritable Avengers-level team of creators: Armando Iannucci, director Sam Mendes and Jon Brown, a writer on Succession, The Franchise has a few things in common with the world of superhero movies in which it's based.

As with the Westminster of The Thick Of It, the set of a megabucks movie is an environment of constant chaos, pressure and panic, generated by fickle bosses, a dysfunctional team, and juniors quickly abandoning principles, even autonomy, for fear of being fired.

However unlike, Iannucci’s meisterwerk, which offered a fresh take on the shadowy world of politics, this feels like familiar territory.  Hollywood has long satirised itself, so we know that actors are either monstrous egotists or fragile ones (or both), that studio suits have no vision beyond the bottom line or hanging onto their jobs, and that on-set juniors are dumped upon by everyone.

That said, there’s plenty to enjoy in The Franchise. It asks, tangentially, whether Marvel-style movies are saving cinema or burying, but it’s basically a madcap workplace comedy. And the swearing is – as you’d hope – elite-level, whether coming from the mouth of Richard E Grant’s odious, pretentious, bitter and vicious luvvie Peter or, better yet, Siri.

The relatively stable figure around which all the madness swirls is first assistant director Daniel (Himesh Patel), charged with the practicalities of actually getting the film – Tecto: Eye of the Storm – shot. 

He is responsible for ensuring the pretentious director’s ‘vision’ gets made, despite shrinking budgets, sudden plot changes imposed from other arms of the sprawling franchise, misfiring special effects, and competitive, over-sensitive actors. And for all this, he’s the whipping boy when things go wrong, especially since execs daren’t confront their wunderkind auteur Eric (Daniel Brühl). 

Patel, above, succeeds in making Daniel the sympathetic eyes of the audience, jaded but not yet completely beaten by this environment. 

The next person down the chain is his assistant Dag (Lolly Adefope), who may be junior but often provides the sarcastic voice of reason, having not yet been rendered entirely cynical by the studio system. However, her naked ambition to climb the pole suggests it won’t be long.

Jessica Hynes is  underused as the devoted assistant to Techo actor Adam (Billy Magnussen), but there’s so much talent (and sometimes plot) jostling for screen space. Look out, too, for The Thick Of It alumnus Justin Edwards stealing scenes as an ever-complaining extra.

Because we’re so familiar with the key themes and character types, the satirical element of The Franchise often seems blunted. But like Marvel films themselves, it can be a lot of fun nonetheless as the team ricochet from one crisis to the next. The scripts sparkle with jokes, especially when it comes to the negotiations and compromises needed to keep the production on the road, while the pace of the scenes and vim of the performances keep things lively. 

Like the  the invisible jackhammer that provides one of the plot points, it’s a blast, however unconvincing.

• The Franchise stars on Sky Comedy from 10pm tonight with the first three of the eight episodes, which are also available on Now TV.

Review date: 21 Oct 2024
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett