Hot Trailer: Jennifer Aniston And Jason Sudeikis’ … 
Warner Bros Tells Space Story, From The Bra Designers Who … 
Brad Pitt’s Plan B Banner Promotes Jeremy Kleiner As … 
Hot Trailer: ‘Don Jon’ 
Billy Crystal-Starring Comedy From Matt Nix & Larry … 
UPDATE: Toronto Lands World Premiere Of Godfrey … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ … 
CBS Reups Tony Awards Through 2018 
HBO, FX Lead Critics’ Choice TV Awards — But … 
Hammond On Cannes: A New Day Comes To The Fest As HBO and … 
Cannes: Lionsgate Acquires U.S. On Guillaume Canet’s … 
Cannes: Radius-TWC Buys Keanu Reeves’ Helming Debut … 
Cannes: Fleming Reflects And Finds Talented Trio A Breath … 
Hot Trailer: ‘Man Of Steel’ 
Former Digital Domain CEO & Auditors Sued For Fraud By … 
Fox Acquires ‘Narc’; Zac Efron Attached To Play … 
ABC’s ‘Nashville’ Undergoes Production … 
CBS Wins Season & Ties Sweep In Demo; ABC Tops Adults … 
Mike Lobell Adds Cast To ‘Eisner,’ Plots … 
Sony Shares Rise On Report That It Will Consider … 
Alki David Agrees To End Name Games With Aereo And Barry … 
The next few weeks will see still more layoffs at WME Entertainment. (I’ve been told between 15 and 18.) But UTA already has snapped up longtime Endeavor talent agent Kevin Volchok who was let go from WME late Friday afternoon. Volchok met with UTA bigwigs on Saturday morning and by the end of the day had a deal to join the agency. 
The tenpercenter had worked for Adam Venit at CAA and then moved to Endeavor with Venit in 1996. He was promoted to agent in 1998 and built a list which includes Tracy Morgan, Adam Brody, Ron Livingston, Rob Corddry, Lauren German, Oscar Isaac, Eugene Levy, Anthony Mackie, Dominic Purcell, Amy Smart and Mark Valley. Most, if not all, are expected to follow Volchok to UTA, which continues to be the biggest beneficiary of the William Morris/Endeavor merger. (Or should I say the Endeavor takeover of Morris?)
I also hear that New York agent Bonnie Bernstein is out at WME. “A big deal,” a source tells me. “She had a lot of good clients.)
2ND UPDATE: Writer/director Bryan Bertino has been one of Paradigm’s biggest clients in its small motion picture lit department, but now he’s left. (He also fired his manager Michael Connolly.) Sources now tell me it was “because he couldn’t get his movie Green Eyes together that is in turnaround at Paramount even though he had Charlize Theron attached to star with Scott Rudin producing. No one would touch it because it is too small, too dark and too depressing.” Anyway, he’s heading to CAA.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
these wme rejects are getting jobs coz they get zero salary upfront and it’s all based on commission
bryan is a tool. doesn’t he realize none of these agencies have any power in this market? Studios are pulling the plug on A lister’s projects left and right and CAA can’t do jack whatev…
Someone please explain to me how this merger is helping Endeavor — they’ve decimated their entire culture for what?
The games begin tomorrow. Good luck to all. Hope the good guys win. By the way, that means Irv and Jim lose. Good luck to consulting, commercials, syndication and the back office.
I over heard a dinner party of former Endeavor/turned WME agents on Saturday night, who were uttering the same sentiment amongst themselves, M.
@m:
There was a culture that was decimated all right, and it certainly wasn’t Endeavor’s. Your remark was stupid enough to make me think you may be part of the Endeavor leadership.
Ari did it for the old fashioned reason, because the strike nearly killed him: money! I.E.: the $40 million in cash surplus at WMA, and the $40 million cashflow Marc Geiger’s Music division prints every year like clockwork.
What’s w/ the reference to the film “m”? Are you a fan of the brother Jim Wiatt only wants to forget because it lets everyone understand him a bit better?
Bryan can’t get a film made because the town’s aware of the re-editing that saved Strangers. Sorry bud, it’s gonna be direct to dvd for you from now on. If even that…
Bonnie is a fantastic agent. Huge loss for WME. CAA needs to snatch her!
WME, this is not a great move.
The merger happened for the same reason they always happen, money and power and more of it. Agencies, or any business, can talk about their “culture” and how they “like being small/outsiders/growing from the inside out” etc., and they may indeed. But it’s just a rationalization – given a choice they’ll all trade that in in six seconds for a chance to join the big boys. Being a cool outsider is great – being a rich insider is even greater.
@Fashionologist: Of course WMA was ruined, and of course Ari did it for the money. My point was that the merger has taken an unexpectedly brutal toll on moral at Endeavor. Everyone in town knows that, including the guy sitting at Mozza Saturday night. Ari has absolutely destroyed the mid-level at the company.
Does anyone know if Volchok is taking Tina Fey?
I am not an insider so I don’t pretend to know how all of this works – but why exactly is the loss of an agent who reps character actors from low rated TV shows who can’t get movies made with their names a “big” loss.
I’m sure Tracy Morgan pulls in a little money, but Ron Livingston (who I love) barely works these days, Adam Brody never panned out in any way, Eugene Levy is played and the rest of his list is people I’ve never heard of or someone like Amy Smart who if we’re all lucky will never work again until she shows up playing the Mom next door on Lifetime flick in 2015.
@m:
You’re making that same mistake again, thinking Ari gives a shit about anything beyond his bank balance. You actually think he cares what his employees think?
“mid-level” – what is that? Ari thinks he’s firing all the “mid-level” people. Remember his big theory about repping only the top 2%…not a lot of room for whiny “mid-level” tools maxing their cards out at Mozza in that scenario.
BTW people above the “mid-level” spell it “morale”.
You’re naive; it’s time to get back to work and quit moaning about your miserable life and be happy you haven’t made the Carole Katz list yet. But Sam Gores has lots of room for more “mid-level” so best of luck.
Does anyone imagine any other industry or business having a site like this or really, comments so mean and awful? Like say, doctors, or teachers or, I don’t know, sanitation workers? Bankers? (maybe), pilots? Social workers? It’s NUTTY. Why is everyone so nasty? No one getting any? Sex, work, love, Pinkberry? Enjoy, it’s short. Be nice.
Volchok is a really great guy. UTA is lucky to have him. God I hope WME gets what it deserves.
Fashionologist, you are clearly threatened by “m’s” comment. If “m” is so insignificant, why even bother responding — TWICE. Lengthy rambling responses at that. The hostility is disproportionate and insufferable.
I don’t know Kevin Volchok personally but almost every young client I’ve had wants to be with him. He’s a terrific agent who understands young actors and knows how to market them successfully. Back a few years ago it was a hot competition between UTA and Endeavor. I’m glad he’s with UTA – they could use his energy.
@TheIndustry: thanks. The fact of the matter is everyone inside and outside what’s left of “Endeavor” is horrified at the cuts; this is quickly going from a perceived takeover of WMA to a massive excuse for a purge. No wonder Strickler left.
KV is a total nerd. screech from saved by the bell.
caa, icm, uta opening a nyc office would all be lucky to have bonnie. she, unlike everyone else at wme, cultivates talent. she grew paul giamatti from nothing to an oscar nominee, golden globe/emmy winner with a multi-million dollar quote. whatever agency grabs her will be very very lucky!
The most successful people are the ones driven by love and passion for what they do. Money is a secondary blessing. Enterprises based solely on venal impulses, personal enrichment for ego’s sake, always crash into a wall – as did these two agencies. The testosterone attack dog mentality has played itself out and is tedious. This takeover seems like a corporate mugging. Pirates looting. If all they want is relatively passive income from the established top 2%, why would any artist want to be a client here. If you’re not the top 2%, they don’t want you. If you are, why do you need them.
Dustin Diamond look alike competition!!!
Kevin is a great agent and UTA got a steal with him.
@ Bill–I assume you are not really in the business…many of Kevin’s clients are extremely well respected and do make money. He has had a couple of clients who are just on the very of breaking. I think that Oscar Isaac just got the lead of a big movie? And Ron Livingston makes 6 figures for television per episode. He just did a series with a big guarantee…Tracy makes a few million a year…Dominic Purcell is primed for another series and makes money.
Anthony Mackie is probably the best client on this list. He is respected and loved by everyone in the business and he is the only true young leading man out there. Derek Luke and Columbus Short could be his side kicks and rappers should not act. I would love to have little mulatto children with him.
Well Ari? Are you happy? How many lives have you altered, all so you and your minions can keep your million dollar salaries. MANY good, hardworking people were let go today on both coasts(they so cutely did is simultaneously). A lot of old-timer WMA people, people who were loyal to the company, worked hard and got shat upon by ‘The Prince’. So listen up, WME clients, if you have trouble getting your money, that’s because they’ve fired people in IT, Talent Payment/Accounting, HR/Payroll, etc. There’s not enough people to do the work, keep the computers running(a joke with Endeavor), cut the clients’ checks, pay the employees or tend to our insurance/HR needs. Hell, we have trouble even getting the office supplies we need. The place is a shell of what it once was, and I for one feel no sorrow when all those board members who voted for the merger are shown the same sort of loyalty Jim Griffin was shown – I hear a knife in your back is in fashion this season.
KV is a classy, hard working, loyal, and very capable agent…Carly you clearly prefer to work with the likes of Sheinwold and Brandt”dumb dumb”Joel…Jack Black and Ewen McGregor are just lighting it up at the box office, yeh their careers are just awesome!!!