- A new HBO Original movie is coming to Max "this Spring"
- The untitled project is Jesse Armstrong's directorial debut
- It's expected to be the long-awaited follow-up to the hit show Succession
Jesse Armstrong – the creator of Succession, one of the best HBO Max shows – looks set to make a directorial debut sometime in the next three months with a new movie that sounds like it could be the highly-anticipated follow-up that fans of the hit series have been waiting for.
While no title has yet been revealed – HBO has even gone as far to cover up the project's name in an image that it released alongside the announcement (see above) – we do know that the movie will star Steve Carrell and Jason Schwartzman, and the brief synopsis sounds reminiscent of Succession, with its focus on the rich and powerful.
It reads: "A group of billionaire friends get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis." What the crisis is, and how these cashed-up friends are connected, isn't yet clear, but considering that Armstrong is behind the project, many are expecting another hit satirical comedy drama.
Commenting on the new Max movie, Armstrong said he was "intrigued to discover whether being around so many brilliant actors and directors on Succession has in any way rubbed off on me. Let’s hope so". I certainly hope so, too, and I feel confident in predicting that he'll bring his considerable creative talents to this next project.
Indeed, with a high-profile cast including comedic actor Carrell (The Office; The Big Short), Wes Anderson alumni Schwartzman (Rushmore; The Darjeeling Limited), Cory Michael Smith (May December; Carol), and Ramy Youssef (Poor Things; Mo), there's certainly enough star power on board to warrant high expectations.
What do we know so far about Jesse Armstrong's new HBO movie?
Not a lot. Aside from the plot, cast and release window, HBO is keeping details of the project largely under wraps. But we should start to hear more soon, considering that it's due to debut in the next three months.
It's surprising that HBO has said the new movie will be released "this Spring", because in the same breath it also says that production is only beginning this month in Park City, Utah. Such a tight turnaround sounds very ambitious, so we'll have to see what updates we get in the coming months.
A report by The Hollywood Reporter in January said production was being fast-tracked to start "later this year", but it seems that the schedule has been accelerated even more going by the latest announcement, which makes me think HBO is particularly keen to get the movie in front of audiences.
I'm not entirely surprised by that. After all, Armstrong is behind some of my favorite TV shows, with writing credits for comedic classics like Peep Show and Fresh Meat as well as satirical sensations such as Four Lions, Veep and Black Mirror.
What's even more exciting is that the project will be Armstrong's first time directing a feature-length film, and given his impressive track record I expect many will be excited to see what he has in store for us.
While we wait for this potential HBO hit to arrive, why not take a look at everything new on Max in March in the US for details of all the new releases, or check out horror aficionado Lucy Buglass' top six new Max movies and shows that she's most excited to watch this month.
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