Sam Mendes, Armando Iannucci prep HBO comedy pilot The Franchise

Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci will exec produce a 30-minute comedy pilot about the crew of a superhero movie franchise for HBO.

The pilot - dubbed The Franchise - is being produced via Mendes’ All3Media label Neal Street Productions and Iannucci’s Dundee Productions. Mendes is also directing the pilot.

Iannucci has previously created HBO Originals’ political comedy Veep and sci-fi comedy Avenue 5, while Mendes’ Neal Street has produced Showtime’s Penny Dreadful and Britannia. Academy Award winner Mendes has also directed films including 1917, Skyfall and Spectre.

Iannucci created the pilot alongside exec producer / writers Jon Brown and Keith Akushie, who both worked on Avenue 5. Brown is also acting as showrunner.

Exec producers also include Neal Street’s co-founder Pippa Harris (Call The Midwife), Julie Pastor and Nicolas Brown, while The Guardian columnist Marina Hyde is an exec producer/ writer.

This story first appeared on KFTV's sister site, Broadcast.