Succession creator to make directing debut with film about billionaires
By Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong will make his directing debut with a film about billionaires.
The upcoming release with US actors including The Office star Steve Carell, Rushmore actor Jason Schwartzman, Gotham actor Cory Michael Smith, and Poor Things star Ramy Youssef will be written, directed, and executive produced by Armstrong.
British writer and producer Armstrong said: “I’m 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’m grateful to (HBO’s chief executive) Casey Bloys, (head of drama) Francesca Orsi and the whole HBO team for backing this film so wholeheartedly and helping me pull together a dream team of cast and crew.”
The movie is teased to be about “a group of billionaire friends” who get “together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis”.
Carell will play Randall, Schwartzman will portray Hugo Van Yalk, Smith will play Venis, while Youssef is taking on the role of Jeff.
Descriptions of the characters have yet to be released, along with the movie’s title.
Executive producers also include those who have worked on Succession such as Jon Brown, Tony Roche, Mark Mylod and Will Tracy as well as Lucy Prebble, also known for I Hate Suzie.
Succession was brought to an end in 2023 after four series of Scottish actor Brian Cox playing foul-mouthed global media tycoon and family patriarch Logan Roy opposite Oscar nominee Jeremy Strong, Academy Award winner Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Alan Ruck as his children.
It scooped 19 Emmys including outstanding drama series and nine Golden Globes during its run, along with drawing large audiences and being critically well received.
Armstrong is also an Oscar nominee for co-writing The Thick Of It spin-off film In The Loop with Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche, and has won TV Baftas for his work on Peep Show and Succession.
Production on the new film begins in March in Park City, Utah, and Sky said it will debut in Spring.