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They came, they met, they didn’t decide to merge yet. I hear William Morris CEO Jim Wiatt was ”shaking”. He’s angry at how he’s being portrayed during these negotiations. (But, c’mon, what kind of leader doesn’t officially inform his staff until this morning there are merger talks underway even though they’re being played out on my website?) Now even his WMA colleagues are worried he’s gonna blow this deal they need. Could a coup d’etat be in the offing? Meanwhile, Endeavor is asking for more financial info. And other major agencies are starting betting pools.
- WMA-Endeavor Merger: Today’s Meeting
- URGENT! Endeavor-WMA Merger Hangs By Thread: Stop Or Go Decision Thursday
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Top level people at UTA have been working the phones hard this week to managers and lawyers to say that UTA is well funded, is ready to hire some agents, and is looking to pick up clients who are currently at Endeavor or WMA and may be ready for a change.
How many of these mergers die due to ego? so much for cashing out (when JW and his crew should get out).
Jim probably was shaking because he knows this is the final straw. When Endeavor sees the financial info and that WMA talent’s dept. has been losing money year after year that should give Endeavor the upper hand…not to mention Jim Wiatt is so fucking weird. This merger will never happen unless WMA agrees to fire half their staff and reduce the current salaries of the agents worth keeping.
The coup WILL happen. Ari will run the new agency. In their failure to find an agreeable name using both “old names”, they settle on just AGENCY, not to be confused with the old “The Agency”, where Nick “The Mechanic” Mechanic used to work. Wiatt will become distraught but will then be signed by Jim Osborne at Paradigm. So in the end, peace in the Kingdom, Wiatt to Paradigm, and Osborne gets to stay another week. Until Wiatt leaves, after he awakens from what he writes off as “just a bad peyote trip”.
Aaaaand scene.
Thanks for the new post, Nikki…the other one with the genius comments was falling down the page.
Wiatt’s angry at how he’s being portrayed during the negotiations? If he is that image obsessed, he should be shown a little more self-awareness at how he act during, i dunno, the past thirty years.
Being portrayed? The man is an idiot. His management skills (along with Wirtschafter & Weintraub) have made WMA a joke. Inside and out, it is known that the place is a disaster waiting to implode. I think Haskell, Kram and Rosenberg left at the right time. The company has no credibility.
Now that the The Three Stooges has been cast, what will Wiatt, Wirtschafter and Weintraub do?
Okay guys, Nikki posted, that’s the dinner bell. Everyone come run in and air their dirty laundry here. Hell, even post your resignation letters right here, because this is clearly where they belong. Just think, you’ll get fawned over by a dozen other anonymous people who will shower you with compliments. It will show how much integrity you have compared to the people you are bitching about. Oh how the biz bubbles over with irony.
Any guess on the name of the next big agency created by spinoff agents from this merger, if it occurs?
The letter to Mr.Wiatt is a true portrayal….It is exactly who he is..jealous of his rich “friends”..a private plane whore…He ruined the company in 10 years…proven by his weakness at this moment..Who has jim wiatt signed…think about it…go over his career and his biggest sign is Tim Allen…all the rest he inherited…He got where he got to at ICM because he grew up with jeff berg..If you have ever spent any quality time with “Dumbo”(the name don simpson gave him)
It is so clear that he has Zero skills that make a good agent…and He shakes..why does he shake,…good question…figure it out…The cronyism is also true…
Jim hangs out with Dave so it looks like he has a personality…Ari is a great agent….Other than to get the music dept i have no idea why he is doing this…He could hire those agents..This merger will not happen
can anyone explain why wma is so desperate to merge with endeavor? i thought they were venerable and still had some great clients?
Hey Stanley,
If Don Simpson’s so fuckin’ smart, how come he’s so fuckin’ dead?
J.Dubb….The only retort you have to my entire comment is about don simpson dying….I was not commenting on his intellect but rather his powers of observation…
Not that I don’t enjoy this site, I do. But man, who gives a fuck about any of this merger shit? I’m unemployed now, after working 22 years straight as a comedy writer. I have some decent money saved, but I’m petrified I won’t be able to afford college for my son, should I be jobless for a couple years, during this crunch..
This industry blows.
How’s EndevMorris sound? Say it fast…
This is exactly where the Endeavor/UTA merger got. In the final day(s) the egos of Ari and Zimmer could not be overcome. For all the harping on WMA, the common denominator here is Endeavor… or egos of heads of agencies.
oh, Woland, you are such the voice of reason…call a waaaahmbulance, you baby.
If this hinges on Jim Wiatt’s behavior, then its dead.
Oh people. Don’t you know this isn’t going to conclude for weeks, maybe months, if at all? Everyone take a breath and just do your job.
Ms Thang -
It does blow, but just be glad that you were employed as a writer for 22 years. By the way, not to make light of your personal finances, but my parents were NYC school teachers and were able to send two kids to private universities within the last decade just fine. So I don’t know how you’re spending your money, cuz you’ve undoubtedly made some nice bank along the way.
The one major debate that has not yet been discussed in this merger and could be a dealbreaker:
OUTLOOK vs. LOTUS
With regards to the previous comment, I’d say..
Typewriters vs. Computers
Which side won on the Exchange vs Notes issue?