After earning acclaim with Succession, writer Jesse Armstrong is tackling the 2008 financial crisis in a movie for HBO.
Did āPeak TVā happen? As fewer shows are commissioned and budgets shrink, there are those that claim weāre now on the downward slopes of an experience that has lasted a couple of decades. Of course, itās debatable as to whether we really have exited the golden age of TV era as some suggest, as weāll only really be able to answer that definitively with the benefit of hindsight.
If that does prove to be the case, though, itās beyond doubt that the last great television series of Peak TV was Succession, (pictured) the HBO drama about the squabbling family of an ageing media magnate. Jesse Armstrong, creator of the immortal British sitcom Peep Show, was the creative force behind Succession, and his unique palette of wit, sharp dialogue, dark comedy and biting satire proved to be perfect for a show that lampooned the ultra-wealthy Roy family, a thinly-veiled take on the Murdoch media empire.
Thanks to Deadline, we now know whatās next on Armstrongās slate: a HBO film about the 2008 market crash. Details are thin on the ground so far, but we do have a brief synopsis: the film will follow āfour friends who meet up during the turmoil of an ongoing international financial crisis.ā
While some might be a little surprised that Armstrong isnāt following up his most successful project to date with another television series, we like this move. Armstrong has proved himself a master of long-form storytelling, and he also has screenwriting credits on some terrific feature-length satires such as Four Lions and In The Loop, which he co-wrote with Chris Morris and Armando Iannucci respectively.
After years of seeing some of the top talent moving in mainly one direction ā that being from the big screen to the smaller one ā weāre thrilled to see Armstrong take on feature directing, even if it is a HBO movie which will likely debut on the Max streaming platform. Whether itās a palette cleanser between multi-year TV shows or the first step into film directing we donāt know, but either way, weāre here for it.
Production is slated to begin later this year and weāll let you know more as it comes in. In the meantime, if you fancy another film about the 2008 financial crisis, might we recommend Margin Call? Itās a tense, numbers-based thriller and the debut of director JC Chandor, who we spoke to in December. While youāre at it, watch The Big Short, and along similar lines, Dumb Money. Thank us later.