Hopeless Pictures

In this wicked animated comedy, Mel Wax (Michael McKean) is the head of a dysfunctional Hollywood indie movie studio, Hopeless Pictures, so named after his deceased parents, Hope and Les. In the land where a studio chief is only as good as his last big flop, Wax struggles to reign in out-of-control, pill-popping Swedish directors and egomaniacal stars, while coping with a vengeful soon-to-be ex-wife (Lisa Kudrow), assorted affairs, his idiot nephew/head of production (Bob Balaban), a hostile takeover and an inept psychiatrist, Dr. Stein (Jonathan Katz). Jennifer Coolidge plays Hopeless Pictures' head of development, Traci, as well as actress Nina Boroslova.

Mel Wax interacts with real Hollywood players, such as directors Nora Ephron, Rob Reiner, publicist Peggy Siegel, Paul Weitz and Isaac Mizrahi.