The Franchise: Trailer, certificate and where to watch
Hilarious Marvel spoof with Richard E Grant, Himesh Patel and Jessica Hynes
Year: 2024
Certificate: 15
Hollywood satires are always good fun, because nothing is more ridiculous than making movies so the jokes are nice and easy to find. Making superhero movies is the most ridiculous level of that and, as such, this eight-part series has a lot of material play with.
It takes us inside the production of a 'Maxima' (read: Marvel) film being produced in the waning days of the franchise. Studio execs are hovering around looking for cost savings and re-tooling plots on the fly, leaving the poor crew to pick up the pieces as the cast's egos fall apart with the stress of it all.
That cast includes Richard E Grant as a theatre legend slumming it in fantasy and shooting off to film adverts whenever he can, and Billy Magnussen - one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood - giving a hilarious performance as the insecure beefcake of the piece.
Behind the camera, Aya Cash and Himesh Patel have a nice chemistry as warring producer and assistant director Anita and Daniel, Daniel Bruhl is the visionary German director and Jessica Hynes is classically tense as director's assistant Steph. Episode one and two serve as a good introduction to the cynical world of Maxima, while episode three takes the story on a seriously hilarious turn. (Eight episodes)
