‘Franchise’ star Daniel Brühl took character inspiration from ‘s–tshow’ past project: It was ‘terrible’

Daniel Brühl — who plays a pompous director in HBO’s new superhero satire series “The Franchise” — drew inspiration from a “terrible” past project.

“There was another film that I would rather not mention that was a total s–tshow from day one ’til the very [end],” the actor told Page Six at the Los Angeles premiere of the show Tuesday.

Brühl, 46, told us that he shot the unnamed project in Los Angeles and would go home after work and think, “How am I going to survive this? This is terrible.”

Daniel Brühl, pictured here at the premiere of “The Franchise” Tuesday, drew inspiration for his new role from a “terrible” past project. AFP via Getty Images He said the film, which he would not name, was a “s–tshow from day one.” AFP via Getty Images

“When you feel that something is not right, there’s no way to fix it,” he said of filming movies and TV shows. “It’s such a painful process when you can feel something is wrong and you cannot just go, you cannot leave and then you look at your miserable face in the mirror every evening.”

The “Inglourious Basterds” star made sure to clarify that the chaotic shoot was not one of his Marvel films.

Brühl, who played Zemo in “Captain America: Civil War” and on the TV series “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” told us, “I actually never thought about my experiences at Marvel because that was a very well-oiled machine.”

He added there was no “crazy chaos” or “absurdity” on those sets.

The actor plays a pompous director in HBO’s new superhero satire series “The Franchise.” The show follows the behind-the-scenes chaos of a superhero movie.

“I was very well-treated,” he added.

Brühl also said directing his first film, “Next Door,” in 2021 informed his character in the new comedy as well.

“The Franchise” — which premieres Oct. 6 on Max and also stars Himesh Patel, Billy Magnussen, Richard E. Grant and Aya Cash — is a workplace comedy that takes place on the set of a superhero series.

“What I love about this show is that they had this great idea to tell it through the eyes of the ones who don’t get the credit at the end and who are not standing on a red or yellow or gray carpet and who are not being paid tons of money,” Brühl told us of the actors playing the behind-the-scenes crew.

Brühl, seen here as Zemo in “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” made sure to note he was not talking about his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. ©Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection The actor celebrated the premiere in LA alongside his cast members, including Himesh Patel, Billy Magnussen and Aya Cash. AFP via Getty Images

The “Alienist” actor added, “They’re so passionate, and this show shines a light on these ones who are not the protagonists in the media or in the magazines, so you have that endearing element to it.

“You have a show that will hopefully touch the people as much as it touched me when you see these painful scenes with all the absurdity and all the sense of humor that you obviously have and it being a satire. But it’s also a very human show.”

The show’s creator, Jon Brown, and executive producers Sam Mendes and Armando Iannucci attended the star-studded event this week, as well as Aidy Bryant, “Succession” star Alan Ruck and “Nobody Wants This” actor Timothy Simons.