The fictional movie disaster at the heart of superhero satire The Franchise actually got real scripts and a full treatment
Oct. 21, 2024When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
At the heart of new TV showThe Franchiseis fictional movie Tecto: Eye of the Storm, the latest installment in a huge superhero series. As a satire of franchise moviemaking, we follow the filmmakers as, well, everything goes wrong in their attempts to bring Tecto to life – which of course, is hilarious.
Whilst in the writers' room – and even on set – the team also ensured that they were reactive to what was going on in the real world of franchise moviemaking, bringing in ideas as things developed in real life. One great example lies within the second episode, where a senior producer tells the Tecto team that the head of the studio wants to make fewer films and shows within the fictional Centurion franchise.
If you think this sounds familiar, that’s because it’s directly influenced byDisney boss Bob Iger sayinglast summer that they will be cutting back on Marvel and Star Wars content.
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
As Brown tells us, this was then brought into his show: “A change that we made to a scene in the second episode quite late on was when Pat says there’s a new directive form upstairs, we are making less stuff. That’s because that was what was happening in the real world, Bob Iger was saying that. This show isn’t just about Marvel but franchises as a whole, but we wanted to reflect that.”
The Franchise premieres today on Sky and NOW in the UK with its first three episodes. You can watch it weekly in the US via HBO and Max.
For more, check out our guide to thenew TV showsheading your way.
As Entertainment Editor at GamesRadar, I oversee all the online content for Total Film and SFX magazine. Previously I’ve worked for the BBC, Zavvi, UNILAD, Yahoo, Digital Spy and more.
The 32 greatest TV sitcoms (that aired after the 1990s)
After 35 years, the actor behind The Simpsons' lovable nerd Milhouse is retiring - but not before one last Treehouse of Horror
This is the perfect Christmas gift for any Tolkien nerd, and it’s under $15
