HBO's satirical comedy The Franchise, which follows the chaotic production of a fictional superhero film, has become increasingly relevant since it first aired, as it captures the growing exhaustion Hollywood has shown towards big-budget franchise filmmaking since the pandemic. The eight-part series, created for HBO, offers a comic but pointed look at the compromises, egos and studio pressures behind blockbuster production, and its themes have resonated more strongly as real-world franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Studios have struggled with inconsistency and setbacks.

The show centres on the fictional film Tecto: Eye of the Storm, a minor entry in a larger shared universe, where the crew must scramble to accommodate changes demanded by a more important upcoming crossover film. Himesh Patel stars as overworked assistant director Daniel Kumar, alongside Aya Cash as producer Anita and Daniel Brühl as self-important "prestige" director Eric Bouchard. The series is praised for authentically depicting the pressures placed on film crews when a single production's schedule can have ripple effects across an entire studio slate, and for its cynical but truthful portrayal of films made mainly to set up future instalments.