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UPDATE: I've confirmed that the director has just signed with Endeavor. Spike Lee's leaving the William Morris Agency "came completely out of the blue," a WMA source told me. He'd been a client of Dave Wirtschafter's for the past 15+ years, and the president notified the agency of the loss this morning. The only reason Lee gave was that he "needed a change," I'm told. "Dave helped him get his passion project Miracle At St. Anna financed by Disney when no one else wanted it. And his next three movies are set -- LA Riots, Time Traveller, and Inside Man 2 -- so it wasn't like he wasn't working. We feel like we've done everything we can for the guy."
Spike Lee Leaves Morris For Endeavor
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Spike’s former agents deserve an award. They kept him working for years after the world found out he’s totally talentless.
He prolly read Nikki’s report on WMA’s trials and tribulations and lack of vision and decided to bolt.
Spike Lee was and still is an arrogant prick who wouldn’t have second thoughts about biting the hand that fed his ungrateful mouth. How WMA managed to get this moron financing in the first place is miraculous in itself.
They should be relieved. Dave is a great agent and dealmaker. No reflection on him. Now Lee will be Endeavor’s curse.
Good fucking luck with this prick.
asshole ? yes. Talentless moron? No way in hell, you may not like the guys politics, but he’s a good filmmaker. If this country can look past fugitive pedophiles ( Polanski, anyone ? )and take their work at face value, then you can look past spike’s problems and see his that his work is solid.
Spike Lee is incredibly untalented as a filmmaker, but highly intelligent, and brilliant as a self-promoter. His early films have a ragged energy and grit, Inside Man is a decent studio thriller, and When The Levees Broke is a great doc, but other than that his films are pretty lame… His endless attempts to hype himself are also damning him to Oliver Stone status–the public gets sick of someone preaching and ranting at them all the time, no matter whether that person is a liberal or conservative! I guess in some ways, I admire Spike Lee’s perseverance and his ability to get uniquely personal films made, i just don’t like his films! They’re mostly crap! And he’s crazy to leave WMA.
So he did the wrong thing?
Sounds like Third Weinstein is an angry WMA agent.
First of all, I don’t work for WMA or Endeavor, and I normally don’t comment on articles, but after seeing a couple of the comments above, I simply had to respond.
For Steve to state above that Spike is talentless is laughable. Spike put Halle Berry and Mekhi Pfeifer in their first movie (Jungle Fever, Clockers respectively), Samuel L. Jackson in movies before mainstream media saw his talent, and according to Denzel Washington himself, Spike helped make him a household name. I, therefore, find it amusing for anyone to say Spike is talentless, for he clearly had enough of it to identify some our country’s best loved stars of today and win two Emmys a couple of years ago for “When the Levees Broke” or be Oscar Nom for Four Little Girls, in addition to also grossing over $100 million for Inside Man.
Regarding him leaving his agency, how many well known directors or agents stay with an agency for FIFTEEN YEARS? Not many. Look at Jennifer Lopez…now that’s a curse. Who’d represent her or take her seriously when you know she will leave in less than a year? I wouldnt want to represent her, but with Spike, he not only identifies and hires great talent (John Turtorro in Jungle Fever and Do the Right Thing, etc.), but he directs films that tell unique stories that would otherwise never be told, like Miracle at St. Anna, Malcolm X, Get on the Bus, School Daze, etc. What I also find extremely interesting is that even when his films are not box office mega ton hits, they are still impactful and resonate with audiences for decades.
As a distant observer, i must admit that I truly admire his persistence and strength of will to get movies done, for it is not easy to get films in general made, and even more so for films that are not mainstream in nature…and he’ been doing it since 1986 when you could count on one hand African American filmmakers.
I agree that Wirtschafter is a talented dealmaker, but to condemn Spike for exercising his prerogative of wanting different representation after staying at WMA for 15 years is absurd and beyond idiotic.
No matter what, I wish him luck and success for I feel that we, the film making community, would be better off with people like Spike always provoking us to think beyond the comforts of our own homogeneity.
Spike Lee is a no-talent LOSER and I’m so sick of him bitching about everything that isn’t African American. I used to enjoy his films – but he’s become such a prick that I can’t even go anymore because all I can think in the back of my mind is – I HATE SPIKE LEE. Sorry, Endeavor. You are in for a real nightmare.
Spike – congrats. I’m sure Endeavor will do a better job than WMA ever could. They are smart.
i smell merger between icm and wma. they are both bleeding agents and clients. we are seeing a 3 agency town with caa, endeavor, and uta.
lets get the two genius leaders of chris silberman and jim wiatt together once and for all.
The agents bust their asses to accommodate the talent and the ego. They put themselves in the position of making sure a guy like Spike Lee continues to have the opportunity to get multi-million budgets which include their substantial above-the-line salary. They do this repeatedly.
The movies don’t make money. The agents are to blame right?
Shooting off his mouth doesn’t translate into attendance unfortunately for Spike. If they had “Q” ratings for filmmakers he’d be an opportunistic “Z.” Having nothing to do with, for the most part, dismal box office.
Endeavor? Ovitz-era CAA stuff. Just another high profile trophy for the trophy case. That’s the sum of their moves right now.
The follow-up there is more than a little suspect. The star acting clients beg for scraps. Ari’s good with performers that are the STAR and create their own material – Sascha Baron Cohen; Larry David – and where’s Larry David post-”Curb Your Enthusiam” Ari? – but generally speaking sinking under the weight of its own “everybody’s a partner” management system.
Why would an actor, a director, or a screenwriter want a LAW FIRM mindset for an agency?
Sign them now. Try to make good on your promises later on.
Plus there’s a reason why Bill Block and Jeremy Zimmer fell so hard as agents.
Lots of talk about “clout.” Standing on their own that “clout” was (and is) non-existent.
Do you really think that Emmanuel provides to Scorsese anything that another agency can’t provide? The man can engender his own material plus has Rick Yorn.
Generally speaking it seems as though Scorsese likes the idea of a grandiose “protector” – i.e., head case – as agent.
Ask Anita Busch how Scorsese’s last agent “protector-” Ovitz – would go about brandishing his “reputation” for “clout.”
There are many directors without talent in this town.
Spike Lee ain’t one of them.
You guys let your politics and Spike’s get in the way of assessing his films. I personally don’t care for most of his movies, but when I hear the vitriol hurled at him versus some of the other high profile directors, its clear you are taking issue with the guy’s POV.
Spike didn’t marry his adopted daughter, hasn’t had sex with minors, hasn’t killed a member of his cast while shooting a dangerous scene, hasn’t gone off the deep end into drug addiction…like many of our most celebrated directors have.
He’s just political. And some of you hate that.
So if you want to talk about the fact that Miracle at St. Anna didn’t have a cohesive plot or tone, then let’s.
But make no mistake. Some of you have a problem with his unapologetic personality.
Yea, Spike is an arrogant prick but how many Director/Producers arent’? Good for Spike I say! Devils have no love; should’ve left WMA years ago.
I love Spike Lee movies. They’re fascinating and challenging.
However, the man is not spotless. “SHE HATE ME” Is one of the most wretched and offensive things ever produced. Not only is it an hour too long, it’s also incredibly homophobic and misogynistic. The moral of the story is that all a lesbian needs is “a good deep dicking” and that females are fundamentally subservient to male sexuality. Mind you, it’s not that female sexuality is subserviant to male sexuality, but that females are inherently subserviant to male sexuality. Also, the main thrust of the plot (pardon the pun) is nothing more than a regurgitation of tired Mandingo stereotypes.
Did no one else see this film? How did GLADD not protest it?
Hunter D.,
No one saw “She Hate Me.” That is one of Spike’s biggest failures ever. I think it made less than 200K in it’s run in theatres.
Now this may be coincidence, but I’ve been reading this blog for about a year and everytime Nikki posts a picture of a black person ( the content of the post being irrelevant) the comments light up with anger of some sort like a burning cross on a starry Alabama night. Amazing. Look back, do a little review and you’ll see what I’m saying. Without reading the post and just the comments, one would of thought that Mr. Lee stole the bailout money, pooped on CAA’s floor, didn’t pay his comission, and asked a white girl on a date. When in reality he purely made a business decision that he felt was right for his company. Considering the lack of details in the post on his reasons for exiting, its brilliant that everyone feels he is a horrible person for doing it. Glad I’m Asian, generally means the comments are inline with the content of the posts. Boy, I just gotta say, I think fox news would like hollywood a lot more if they took a moment to see what they really thought. Thinly veiled my friends, thinly. Keep it up, makes for a good read on the blackberry in waiting rooms.
To truth -
When partners have a successful relationship, they don’t just split because they need a change. Although as the old adage goes – a client leaves his agent, because he can’t leave his wife…
Hmmmmmm.
Spike is talented. But soulless. And in the end, I’d rather have soul.
I wonder if the smaller firings at WMA made Lee a bit uncomfortable. I’m not really sure what END will do for him, their independent division is not even close to WMAs and will never be close.
I just wonder if John Fogelman had anything to do with this. He is such a useless agent and I have no doubt Michael Bay will leave and sign with Endeavor before Transformers 2 hit screens.
To Dan,
I did not write that he left WMA simply because he needed change, even though many actors, writers and directors do so for that just that reason.
What i wrote was, “to condemn Spike for exercising his prerogative of wanting different representation after staying at WMA for 15 years is absurd and beyond idiotic.”
Again, it is his business if he decided that the reasons were sufficient for him to seek new representation, but i for one cannot begrudge him for making a decision he feels is best for his career, especially since he’s been with the same agent for 15 years.
RE: Dee..
Fogelman is useless? You do realize that Michael Bay is still directing movies (with even bigger budgets), right?
To Truth:
I can.
All we have at the end of the day is our character. The guy has his next three films lined up. Dave got St. Anne’s financed (which is a miracle). Dave fought for Spike to do INSIDE MAN (the first one). Someone else gets to reap what he sowed.
Imagine taking wasted land and fertilizing it and seeding it and watering it and nurturing it. :Yes, you might make mistakes, overwater, underfeed, but there are crops as a result. Now imagine doing all that work – even harvesting them, and watching someone else reap the benefits. And for no good reason, other than, I wanted someone else to reap the benefits. How do you care so little after someone has worked so hard?
That’s character. I’m sorry, but there is no pride in leaving a man who has brought in crop after crop (many times when no one would give seeds) just because you feel like a change.
Maybe you can’t fault a man for that, but I can. And I will. He is without character.
I was an agent for many years. You have no idea what it feels like to do a great job, to believe you have a good relationship, and then watch as someone else reaps the benefits of your work. Maybe Ari had better knick tickets. Maybe ari could promise endeavor branding. But a better job? I doubt it. Ari’s got the attention span of a well dressed ego centric knat. Dave’s pride was inter laced with Spike’s success. I cannot celebrate or congratulate change just because…
I will never see another spike movie again. (Honestly the only one I enjoyed was INSIDE MAN). The tiny man just made a big statement about the vacancy inside his soul, and I don’t want to waste any more time on someone so worthless. Dave if you’re reading, nor should you!! xo.
And that’s the truth!
It wasn’t long ago that Adrian Lyne left WMA because he wasn’t happy with the progress of his project “The Town,” despite the fact that WMA kept the hyenas at bay when they tried to knock Lyne off his own movie. (Lyne had an exorbitant budget in mind, much to studio heads’ dismay.) A smug Lyne left WMA without any warning (like Spike) and went to Endeavor.
Within 24 hours, Endeavor orchestrated Ben Affleck to replace Lyne as director (writer & star). Lyne, who has been developing “The Town” for years, was left emptyhanded and in tears. Needless to say, he’s no longer at Endeavor. Good luck, Spike!
@another damn black post. One thing we black actors(especially those who have gotten any work) deal with, and disproportionatly so, is a deep, DEEP resentment of anything we do or say. There is an overreaction to every word, every decision, every move. It will never be admitted to, but I’ve experienced it personally. White actors/directors make moves like this all the time, nary a peep. Spike does it, and he’s a talentless asshole who should be happy WMA ever took his phone call.
Pathetic.
Miracle grosses nearly 8 million dollars and Spike is a great film maker? Flags of Our Fathers makes 33.5 million and all Spike can do is complain about not enough black faces. Hope where ever this troubled flim maker goes next he makes as much money for them as his previous backers. Gods way of saying to them you have way too much money let’s lessen your burden.
DO THE RIGHT THING is a bloody classic, superb, gritty, though-provoking and highly entertaining.
MALCOLM X is a solid drama, on an epic scale.
HE GOT GAME is a wildly complex take on a sports theme.
I could go on and on, Spike Lee is a very talented filmmaker, his politics are irrelevant.
Spike did a great job with Clockers. I read the book and he pulled it off, well.
With that said, everyone who doesn’t like one of his movies he says is a racists.
The truth is, as I was told by a black man who knows him, Spike is the racist. He hates white people, or at best tolerates them.
SPIKE LEE SAYS WM MORRIS IS JUNK.
SO HE LEFT THE AGENCY IN A BIG FUNK.
ST. ANNA CRASHED AND BURNED.
AND THE LESSON HE LEARNED?
DON’T FUCK WITH CLINT EASTWOOD, YOU PUNK.
MeThinks,
it is humorous that your name is actually an oxymoron because you clearly did not put thought into your post.
Spike has never said if you didnt like his films that one is racist…i’m an african american and i dont like some of his films, so does that mean i’m a racist? He knows that his films may not be liked by everyone, regardless of background, so he’d never make that statement. Secondly, i know him quite well and he is not racist at all. He does not hate white people as you assert, rather he speaks out about the inequalities of the greenlight process, which does not accurately reflect the rest of America, and if those who make decisions dont reflect the population, they wont know what’s hot or what will sell. Which is the battle he has always been in, regardless of his past successes. Tyler Perry is a great example. If it weren’t for his agent, who happens to be African American, pushing to get WMA to agree to let him represent Tyler, and then him pushing Lionsgate to agree to distribute the Madea films, then Hollywood may have never heard of Perry or even realize the viability of that market.
The truth is Spike Lee is outspoken, and more so when it comes to race and film, and because of this, people often root for his downfall. The reality is that no one bats a thousand. All actors and directors have been in multiple projects that weren’t financially successful, and if that’s not the case, I will show you someone that hasnt worked consistently for 22 years like Spike Lee.
Let’s stop the nonsense.
Spike Lee left WMA after staying there for 15 years. That’s impressive enough, if you ask me…
Who’s doubting Spike’s talent in here, those rednecks from the MCCain/Palin rallies? He was putting white actors in his New York based movies while Woody Allen was still confused about diversity despite his decades-long head start in filmmaking. So far the consensus is that Miracle at St. Anna’s gross is indicative of his talent, When the Levees Broke is his only good film, and he has no soul. Comments made by people willing to spit shine Polanski and David O. Russell’s butt cheeks, no doubt.
This perfectly shows how out of touch Spike Lee is with the real world. The reason his movie bombed is because his potential audience is sick of his tired race baiting (just as people are sick of Obama’s). If Spike wants to blame anyone for his failures, he ought to blame himself. Other than the money job Inside Man, he hasn’t made a halfway decent movie since 1990.
LoveGoodCinema,
Every time he is not nominated or doesn’t wins an oscar or any other award, he doesn’t come out and say it but it is obvious in his worlds, it’s because he’s black and his movies are about the African American experience.
You know what though? I was wrong calling him a racist, or my black friend who knows him, was wrong. Spike isn’t a racist. He just doesn’t like white people. Unless they are Italian.
Spike likes white folk about as much as Allen Iverson does. And I’ve seen Iverson in action, with my own eyes.
Yes, Crystal. This post is an excuse for you to explore your conservative biases, because Barack Obama obviously spends every waking moment trying to destroy whitey. Even his VP pick isn’t safe. Spike Lee hasn’t made a decent flick since 1990, but hopefully you can explain his direction that led Denzel Washington to an Oscar nod 2 years later. And methinks Spike Lee only likes Italian whites, but how will I explain that ass backwards theory to Jodie Foster, Edward Norton and other WASPs who’ve starred in his flicks?
Don’t be surprised if Charles King leaves the agency soon.
Charles is not going to leave the agency anytime soon…he is well liked and well respected both internally and externally, and what’s more, he is making the agency a lot of money. In addition, he has been instrumental in signing the likes of Prince, Terrence Howard, Tyler Perry, etc.
They trust him and allow him significant latitude.
He’s talented and under represented.
They represent Prince? What a joke. Betcha that’s made them a lot of money. Great signing. The guy may be talented but he’s a nightmare.
Actually, they deserve each other.
People like crystal and other obviously racist idiots who comment here about Obama, spike, etc, will become obsolete. Pay no attention for their lack of morality & intelligence. Bankrupt minds are bringing the bigots out of the closet. Spike did the right thing, more blacks should leave wma, all, in fact. I am a white man supporting equality. We stand together or fail.
One of the reason’s our country has stalled is that we never got rid of the backwoods country red neck ignorance that seems to reduce the human potential in our country. It’s a brainwashing that continues to this day that dictates the following,” the overall image of black people in America must be represented in a negative light whenever we can in order to justify Americas past and present actions.
Whether its sports, entertainment or business, the image of the race must be negative, while allowing room for individuals to achieve varied success. This not only helps maintain America’s denial but helps manifest the lie to the rest of the world for the obvious disparities in economic status.
This is why some people will complain about athlete’s salary yet never say anything about the huge amounts of money actor’s, ,directors, and until recently, company execs get, are not really thinking with their own brain as their arguments often make no sense. While Americans were dying in Iraq we thought it important to be playing around with barry bonds who used a substance the governor of california used to become whom he is today.
Does Spike have a chip on his soldier, of course. But I few this as a trait of bravery and proof that he thinks for himself. In the real world its not a requirement for all of us to think alike. Perhaps Spike reminds you of the independence and manhood America seems to have lost. Perhaps that’s why Klan members always fought in packs, or why white american men were such cowards as to be afraid of equal rights for black man and ALL women.
Spike….Do Your Thing!