Mid sized marketing agencies

EXCLUSIVE: WME Independent has unveiled the first image of Haley Bennett in the upcoming 19th Century champagne drama Clicquot ahead of launching sales on the title at the European Film Market . Bennett stars in the titular role of Barbe-Nicole Ponsardin Clicquot, who is popularly known in France as the “Grande Dame of Champagne”. This real-life historic figure defied convention to take over her late husband’s fledgling wine business in Reims in 1805 after being widowed at the age of 27. The production, announced on Deadline last year, is based on the 2008 novel The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It by Tilar J. Mazzeo. Filming took place the French regions of Chablis and Reims last fall. Thomas Napper ( Jawbone) directs from a screenplay by Erin Dignam ( Land, Submergence ) and Christopher Monger ( Temple Grandin ). Other previously announced cast members include Tom Sturridge (DC Comics and … [Read more...] about Haley Bennett First Image In Champagne Drama ‘Clicquot’ Revealed As WME Independent Sets EFM Sales Launch

EXCLUSIVE : Steve Coogan is set to star in The Penguin Lessons , with The Full Monty ’s Peter Cattaneo to direct the Jeff Pope -scripted adaptation of the Tom Michell nonfiction bestseller. The management/production company 42 partners Rory Aitken and Ben Pugh will produce alongside Robert Walak. Rocket Science is handling international sales and will introduce the film at the European Film Market , with CAA Media Finance repping U.S. distribution rights. The Penguin Lessons is the true story of a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, he discovered instead a complicated and divided nation – and a class of practically unteachable young boys. When he finds a small penguin washed up on an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside down – and the penguin becomes not only a valued friend, but also a teacher of life’s most important lessons, for Tom, the boys and many others. “We were captivated by … [Read more...] about EFM Hot Package: Steve Coogan Stars In Peter Cattaneo-Helmed ‘The Penguin Lessons’

EXCLUSIVE: United Talent Agency is trimming its personnel with cuts in several departments. According to sources, mostly admin/support staff are impacted, with the total number of layoffs in the low single-digits as a percentage of the company’s overall workforce. “We’ve grown a great deal over the last several years, and as a result decided to make some adjustments,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement to Deadline. “We’re unfortunately parting ways with a small number of colleagues and are grateful for everything they’ve contributed.” UTA has been on an acquisition spree over the past two years, buying such companies as UK agency Curtis Brown , publishing agency Fletcher & Company and MediaLink , a media and marketing advisory firm. Facing a possible economic downturn, many entertainment and tech companies have undergone layoffs in the past several months, with more cuts expected this year. Talent agencies previously reduced staffs during the … [Read more...] about UTA Undergoes Layoffs In Multiple Departments

EXCLUSIVE: Digital content indie Cowshed Social has rebranded to Cowshed Collective , signed a former YMU Chief Business Officer and split into four divisions. Cowshed, which creates content for Gen-Zs, will now operate with a Studios, Social, Creators and Ventures division. Studios will focus on producing content for broadcasters, Social on building brands, Creators on talent development and Ventures will be business-to-business. Hamizadeh is a signature hire who joins as Chief Business Officer. She is a former YMU Chief Business Officer and has also worked at UK publisher Haymarket. She joins soon after former Channel 4 and BBC Studios exec Matt Ford, while Cowshed Collective also recently hired former LADbible Group Head Of Production Joana Gutscher. “Cowshed is an impressive business that understands content, production, and how to deliver for clients to a high standard all within one agency,” said Hamizadeh. “I’m delighted to be involved in the next stage of … [Read more...] about Former YMU Business Exec Joins Rebranded Digital Content Indie Cowshed Collective

EXCLUSIVE : Arthouse streamer and distributor Mubi has traditionally been shy about revealing performance numbers for its movies, but today we can reveal that BAFTA and Oscar hopeful Aftersun has become the company’s most streamed release globally. We’re told the Paul Mescal -starrer has now far surpassed Mubi’s previous best-performers including Portrait Of A Lady On Fire , The Worst Person In The World , Drive My Car , Decision To Leave , Shiva Baby and Titane , some of which were released during the pandemic, a boom time for streamer engagement. The film started streaming in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Latin America and a handful of other markets on January 6, 2023, and has also become the top-viewed film all time in these individual territories. It will join the platform in Germany, Austria and Spain in March, and later in France. Writer-director Charlotte Wells’ acclaimed debut has also blazed a trail for Mubi at the theatrical box office, becoming … [Read more...] about ‘Aftersun’ Becomes Mubi’s Most Streamed Movie Ever & Crosses Box Office Milestones

Microsoft ’s proposed $69B acquisition of Activision could bring harm to the UK’s 45M-strong gaming community, the nation’s competition body has ruled. In a provisional finding delivered in the past hour, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said that Microsoft “buying one of the world’s most important game publishers would reinforce [its] strong position and substantially reduce the competition that Microsoft would otherwise face in the cloud gaming market in the UK.” Both companies can respond to the ruling, which will conclude in April. Microsoft already accounts for an estimated 60% to 70% of global cloud gaming services, said the ruling, and corners the market in other ways via its ownership of Xbox, Windows and Azure. A small number of Activision’s flagship games such as Call of Duty play an important role in driving competition between consoles, added the CMA, which said Xbox and Playstation’s competition would “weaken competition” and “in turn … [Read more...] about Microsoft Activision Deal Could Bring Harm To UK Gaming Community, Rules Regulator

Fox will be actively pursuing M&A opportunities now that it won’t be merging with News Corp. Outside shareholders of both of the Murdoch family holdings had protested after patriarch Rupert last fall asked the respective boards to explore a combination . In January, he took that off the table, opening a door to other possibilities. Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch stressed a few times today on the company’s quarterly conference call with Wall Streeters that other deal or deals are likely because “I do think scale is important.” Fox reported strong numbers for its fiscal second quarter and a solid balance sheet. Its defined focus on sports and news helped boost ad revenue in a soft market, and has been keeping the stock a favorite with investors. But it’s smaller than some of its media peers since it was spun out on its own after the rest of 21st Century Fox was sold to Disney for years ago. Major media transactions slowed after Amazon/MGM and Warner Bros. Discovery, … [Read more...] about Fox Eyes M&A After Merger With News Corp. Scrapped: “Scale Is Important” – Lachlan Murdoch

Fox Corp. matched Wall Street expectations for its fiscal second quarter, powered by NFL football in the U.S. and football at the World Cup. The company reported total revenue in the quarter ending December 31 of $4.61 billion, up 4% from the year-earlier period, and earnings of 48 cents a share. Affiliate fee revenues rose 1% thanks to 6% growth at the Television unit. Ad revenue climbed 4%, no mean feat in a tough economic climate, mostly due to the World Cup in Qatar and strong NFL results at Fox Sports. Other boosts came from political spending at the company’s local stations and growth for streaming service Tubi. The category of “other revenue” increased 13%, which the company said was primarily due to the December acquisition of Mar Vista Entertainment and higher Fox Nation subscription revenue. Fox has not disclosed subscriber numbers for Fox Nation, which launched in 2018. It is the first quarterly report for Fox since the company and its corporate sibling, … [Read more...] about Fox Corp. Ad Revenue Climbs 4% In A Tough Quarter, Boosted By NFL And World Cup

EXCLUSIVE : Media mogul Jose ‘Pepe’ Bastón is looking to ramp up his interests in the U.S. after signing with Allied Management Group , the company founded by former NBCU exec John Pollak and actor Wilmer Valderrama. Bastón, who spent three decades at Mexican media giant Televisa, has signed with the company through its partnership with Monica Gil and Carolina Aymerich’s CRE84U. The aim is to grow Bastón and his Elefantec Global studio’s business in the English-language market in the U.S. Elefantec Global, which is based in Los Angeles, Bogota and Mexico City and has relationships throughout Latin America and the U.S., is behind projects such as Miguel Bose biopic Bose and limited series La Rebelion and has a partnership with Fox-owned MarVista Entertainment. It comes as U.S. buyers look to grow their Latino-infused content. Bastón said, “Our mission is to create cultural relevant content not only for the global Latino audience but also for worldwide audiences … [Read more...] about Jose ‘Pepe’ Bastón Signs With John Pollak & Wilmer Valderrama’s Allied Management Group

EXCLUSIVE : Lance Bass , a member of pop group NSYNC and a trained Russian cosmonaut, is hosting a new podcast series about space. Bass will host The Last Soviet , which tells the story of Russian astronaut Sergei Krikalev’s 313 days in space during the collapse of the USSR. The eight-part series, which comes from iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope, will launch on February 15. In 2002, Bass underwent training in Star City, Russia and became a certified cosmonaut. He was certified both by the Russian Space Program and by NASA for a mission on the Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft to the International Space Station but after his financial sponsors backed out, Bass was denied a seat on the mission. Krikalev was stranded on board Mir during the dissolution of the Soviet Union and his return was delayed for twice as long as the mission was planned originally. “I fell in love with space when my grandfather took me to see my first rocket launch as a kid. I even came close to … [Read more...] about Lance Bass To Host Space History Podcast Series ‘The Last Soviet’ For iHeartPodcasts & Kaleidoscope