Jesse Armstrong has found his follow-up to Succession at HBO, but it’s not a television show.
Per Deadline, Armstrong will write an untitled movie for HBO Films. Armstrong will executive produce with fellow Succession executive producer Frank Rich under their overall deals at HBO.
Based on an original idea, Armstrong’s movie will involve four friends meeting during the “turmoil of an ongoing international financial crisis,” Deadline’s description reads.
The project is reportedly being fast-tracked to begin production later this year. No casting announcements have been made.
Armstrong’s move follows Succession, one of the most critically acclaimed dramas of the 21st century. Succession depicts the Roys, a wealthy family that owns a media conglomerate. After the Roy patriarch suffers a health scare, the series becomes a battle among family members for company control.
Succession ran for four seasons from 2018 to 2023 on HBO. The show received near-universal acclaim, receiving 75 Emmy nominations and 19 wins. The series won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series three times, with series stars Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, and Matthew Macfadyen all winning acting Emmys. Armstrong won seven Emmys for Succession, including four for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
Besides Succession, Armstrong created several British TV shows, including Peep Show, The Old Guys, Fresh Meat, and Babylon.
While his credits are predominantly in television, Armstrong has some experience in film. Armstrong, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash co-wrote the 2020 black comedy Downfall, a remake of 2014’s Force Majeure. Armstrong also wrote the screenplays for 2019’s The Day Shall Come, 2010’s Four Lions, 2009’s In the Loop, and 2007’s Magicians.
