Sam Mendes To Direct HBO Comedy Series About Superhero Filmmaking From Creator Of ‘Veep’

After spending some time directing two James Bond films, “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” filmmaker Sam Mendes knows a thing or two about the ups and downs of franchise filmmaking. And that’s good because his next project, “The Franchise,” is putting a comedic light on the whole idea of tentpole filmmaking, following a crew that has to work on a superhero film. 

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According to Variety, Sam Mendes is set to direct the pilot episode of “The Franchise,” a new HBO comedy series that follows the trials and tribulations of working on a Hollywood superhero film. The series’ story comes from writers Armando Iannucci, Jon Brown, and Keith Akushie, with the latter two writing the pilot script. If picked up by HBO, Brown will also serve as showrunner.

Iannucci is no stranger to working with HBO, as the creator and writer of the Emmy-winning comedic behemoth, “Veep.” More recently, he is the creator of another HBO comedy series, “Avenue 5.” Mendes, as mentioned, has worked on two 007 films, as well as his more acclaimed work on features such as “American Beauty.” He is currently prepping the release of his newest film, “Empire of Light,” which is expected to be an awards contender later this year. “The Franchise” marks the filmmaker’s first foray into the world of TV directing. 

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A release date for the series has yet to be announced. Obviously, HBO is pretty picky when it comes to which series the network picks up for a full season, so there’s still a chance “The Franchise” might not ever be released. However, with Iannucci’s past with the network and Sam Mendes behind the camera, you have to assume the network would love to see this new show become a hit.