Latest in Agencies

The Black List was revealed Monday, the annual breakdown of the year’s most-liked unproduced screenplays culled via voting by more than 250 film execs about their favorite scripts that did not go into production during calendar-year 2019. This year, Ken Kobayashi’s Move On topped the list, with UTA his agency and…

ICM Partners has received an investment from New York-based private equity firm Crestview Partners. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the agency confirmed the ICM partnership will maintain majority ownership, with Crestview Partners becoming a minority owner. According to sources, Crestview paid about $150…

The WGA has filed its opposition to the Big Three talent agencies' motion to dismiss the guild's antitrust and price-fixing claims in their ongoing legal battle. The WGA's opposition, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, argues that the motion to dismiss – filed by WME, CAA and UTA – "largely ignores the detailed…

Verve, which earlier this week became the first talent agency to respond to the #PayUpHollywood movement by pledging to boost pay of assistants and mailroom employees, has signed writer/activist Liz Alper, who is behind the initiative. Alper, is a member of the WGA West board of directors and of the guild’s 2020 MBA…

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy and DGA Award-winning writer-director Richard Shepard has signed with CAA. The veteran helmer has directed nine television pilots that have gone to series, including Criminal Minds, Ugly Betty, for which he won an Emmy, Rosewood, Salem, Sweetbitter, and the upcoming musical dramedy Zoey's Extraordinary…

Robin Thicke, a five-time Grammy award nominee, actor, and one of the stars of The Masked Singer has inked a deal with ICM Partners for representation in all areas, the agency announced Wednesday. Thicke launched his solo music career in 2003, and two years later he found commercial success with the chart-topping…

Verve is giving its assistants and mailroom employees a 25%-40% pay raise in response to #PayUpHollywood – the first known pay hikes tied directly to the movement since it was launched in October. Verve's move comes after it conducted an internal survey last month, which also prompted the talent agency to shorten…

CAA said Monday that it has promoted seven trainees to the rank of agent, two apiece in the Media Finance and Commerical Endorsements departments, and one each in Motion Picture Talent, Touring and CAA Sports’ Baseball divisions. Casey Sunderland and Travis Tammero have been upped to Agents in Media Finance, which…

The television business is becoming increasingly global, fueled by the rapid expansion of the major streaming platforms. That also goes for the major Hollywood talent agencies. Reps have always looked for opportunities beyond the U.S. But now, because of the increased demand for locally produced international content…

A celebration of the life of Jack Gilardi, an ICM agent for 68 years, will take place this Monday, December 9, at 7:00 PM at Paramount Studios. Industry friends are welcome to attend, but must RSVP to obtain a drive-on to the Paramount lot. The RSVP email is  [email protected]. Gilardi passed away…

UPDATED with quotes from attorneys, WGA reaction and more detail: A federal judge on Friday indicated he’ll refuse to throw out the federal antitrust lawsuits filed by Hollywood heavyweight agencies CAA, WME and UTA against the Writers Guild of America. In a crucial hearing for the high-profile guild-vs.-agencies…

EXCLUSIVE: Devon Schiff is returning to the agency world, joining Verve as a television agent. She will start at the Los Angeles-based firm in January. Verve is one of handful of lit agencies allowed to represent writers after signing a franchise agreement with the WGA in May. Schiff comes to Verve from Monsterfoot…