Two years after the acclaimed finale of HBO’s Succession, writer/director Jesse Armstrong is back with his latest project, Mountainhead. The film stars Steve Carrel, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith, and Ramy Youssef as a group of tech-savvy businessmen whose alliances are tested when they learn of a global crisis during their mountaintop retreat. Mountainhead will be released on May 31st on Max.
This HBO original film has sparked plenty of discussion online, with many noting how similar it seems to Armstrong’s last project. Beyond the key themes of business and technology, there’s obviously plenty of Succession influence to be found in Mountainhead, and it even seems like Armstrong will be using a similar approach of social satire in his new movie to discuss these ideas. This was one of Succession’s biggest strengths; while the characters were unlikable and their actions strictly immoral, this allowed Armstrong to use them as catalysts to discuss the flaws in the capitalist system.
Mountainhead Sounds Like Jesse Armstrong’s Perfect Succession Follow-Up
The Two Projects Have A Lot In Common
After the end of Succession in 2023, audiences have been itching for Jesse Armstrong to return to the world of business and technology – and Mountainhead will do exactly that. The film follows a group of powerful entrepreneurs during a trip to their mountain retreat, where their friendly rapport is soon disrupted by dangerous business decisions and personal politics that put their careers in jeopardy. From the trailer alone, it seems like a very high-octane, witty drama that injects dark comedy and highly sarcastic characters into its screenplay to dissect some of today’s most political issues.
Mountainhead Already Feels A Lot Like Succession
Armstrong’s New Movie Deals With The Same Themes
From the handheld cinematography to the quippy one-liners, the Mountainhead trailer already feels a lot like Succession. In fact, the entire concept is eerily familiar to the opening episode of the show’s fourth season, which saw the Roy siblings discussing their new tech business from the comfort of a sleek, modern cabin in the mountains.
Jesse Armstrong has clearly drawn inspiration from his previous project for Mountainhead – the sarcastic line deliveries alone are enough to draw similarities to Kendall and Roman’s highbrow banter, while the talk of stock prices and online platforms is very reminiscent of Succession’s main storylines, particularly the GoJo acquisition in season 4. It also seems like Mountainhead will be using deep-rooted satire to poke fun at the upper class and comment on the role of the “tech-bro” in contemporary America, which is something Succession never shied away from.