Billy Magnussen, Daniel Bruhl and Richard E Grant board HBO Pilot 'The Franchise'

Actor Billy Magnussen, Daniel Bruhl and Richard E Grant have joined the cast of HBO's new comedy "The Franchise". According to entertainment news portal, the network has ordered the pilot for the comedy which comes from Armando Iannucci, the creator of critically-acclaimed series "Veep".
Filmmaker Sam Mendes will direct the pilot for "The Franchise", a half-hour project that takes a wry look at superhero movie-making.
It follows a hopeful crew trapped inside the dysfunctional, nonsensical, joyous hellscape of franchise superhero movie-making.
"If and when they finally make the day, the question they must face - is this Hollywood's new dawn or cinema's last stand? Is this a dream factory or a chemical plant?" as per the official synopsis.
Magnussen, known for movies such as "No Time To Die" and "Game Night", will feature in the show along with Jessica Hynes, Darren Goldstein, Lolly Adefope and Isaac Powell.
Bruhl and Grant will be recurring guest stars on the series.
The script has been penned by Jon Brown and Keith Akushie, with Iannucci collaborating with the duo on the pilot story.
Iannucci will serve as an executive producer alongside Mendes, Pippa Harris, Nicolas Brown, and Julie Pastor.