Posts with tag CAA
Will Eisner Now a CAA Client
Filed under: Deals », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
And thus begins Hollywood's rediscovery of Golden Age comics. Variety reports that the Creative Artists Agency has landed the rights to Will Eisner's estate, enlisting the late comic book legend as a client.Their plan is to take Eisner's large library of comic book titles and package them up as movie, television, and other media properties. Interest in all things Eisner has been heating up, due largely to Frank Miller's upcoming adaptation of The Spirit. (And probably due to Eisner and the Spirit always being ever present at San Diego ComicCon, which Hollywood increasingly takes over.)
Obviously, there's no word on what titles are being looked at first, or by whom. I'm curious how diehard Eisner fans will take this -- do they want his titles remaining undiscovered and unsullied by blockbuster movies? Or are they going to jump at the chance to see anything and everything adapted?
Frankly, I'm always happy if original content is being adapted over remaking the movies of the 1980's. I imagine all his noir work will be snapped up first -- and I would be none too sorry to see Lady Luck. Hawks of the Seas would be ten kinds of fun, but I am a sucker for swashbucklers. I hope someone looks at his serious graphic novels -- Contract with God, Family Matters, and The Name of the Game could all be brilliant in the right hands. It will be interesting to see where this deal goes.
Reese Witherspoon Jumps Ship to CAA
Filed under: Casting », Newsstand »
Now that she's an Oscar-winner, one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood and currently the second-highest-paid actress, Reese Witherspoon can afford to be picky with the parts she chooses. And she is also likely one of the most desirable clients for agents. After spending only a year with Endeavor, Witherspoon has signed with CAA. It isn't known why Witherspoon switched representation again so soon, but it couldn't have anything to do with the roles she got while at Endeavor, none of which has been released yet.
Variety mentions that since her separation from Ryan Phillippe, she has been making a number of life changes, though her departure doesn't seem to have anything to do with Phillippe, who is repped by UTA. Maybe she is in fact disappointed that Endeavor couldn't get her enough money to maintain her place as the highest paid actress (she was displaced recently by CAA client Julia Roberts). Or she's just having trouble finding an agent she's as comfortable with as Steve Dontanville, who she was with for almost her entire career up to his retirement. For a peek at Reese Witherspoon's next movie, check out the new trailer here.
Endeavor Entices Top Agents
Filed under: Executive shifts », Newsstand », Quentin Tarantino », Robert Rodriguez »
To survive in this business you must have confidence and be resilient -- an agent told me this four years ago and I live by it each day. To survive in the film industry, resiliency will help you persevere even during the toughest of times. This advice works at any level in this business, even Hollywood's top agencies abide by it. ICM took a hard hit on Wednesday when two long-time agents Robert Newman and Matt Solo became partners at Endeavor talent.A spokesman at ICM told Variety that the departure was a kind one, but despite this fact, they've still lost their head of motion pictures and TV lit department. The client roster that Newman created contained huge names such as Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and Robert Rodriguez, whose double horror feature with Quentin Tarantino has people talking and anticipating its release.
Why would an individual who has worked so long with a company choose to leave for another high profile agency position? Newman's reason was simple: he desired "a change in scenery" while Solo looked forward to reconnecting with former ICM agents and partners who left the agency before he did. Other rumors have spawned from the shift but none of which are worth repeating as they bear no fact whatsoever.
Sundance Deals: Various monies associated with God Grew Tired of Us
Filed under: Documentary », Sundance »
Christopher Quinn's doc God Grew Tired of Us, narrated by Nicole Kidman, tracks
three young Sudanese boys as they immigrate to New York City. It's one of the most highly acclaimed films at this
year's Sundance, and news broke yesterday that CAA have brokered a deal with TF1 International to distribute the film
in all non-English speaking territories. TF1 is a big-time French sales house, and they've been trying to expand into
the international arena. In slightly more amazing news, Steve Rosenbaum relates the following
anecdote: last night, after a screening of the film, a stranger who was particularly moved whipped out his checkbook
and donated $25,000 to the charity started by one of the film's stars. We're assuming that the film will be a hot
contender at Saturday's awards ceremony.







