Latest in Verve

EXCLUSIVE: The lit agency Verve has become the latest to confront the havoc wrought by the coronavirus pandemic that has brought the business to a screeching halt. Sources said that the strategy will be pay cuts, not layoffs. The seven partners will take the largest salary cuts, and the percentage salary trims…

EXCLUSIVE: David Guggenheim, the creator and writer of the Kiefer Sutherland-starring drama series Designated Survivor and screenwriter of the Denzel Washington-Ryan Reynolds pic Safe House, has signed with Verve. Guggenheim’s Designated Survivor, the White House drama starring Sutherland, aired two seasons on ABC…

EXCLUSIVE: Jill Culton, who recently directed and wrote Dreamworks Animation-Pearl Studio's Abominable, has signed with Verve. The CalArts alum is one of the first females in animation history to both direct and write a feature original story following Brenda Chapman’s co-directing and co-writing on Pixar’s The Brave…

Verve has brought aboard Rick Olshansky, former president of business operations at AMC Studios, as a special advisor. The agency said he will help with business operations and deals as well as representing Verve in its third-party interactions. At AMC, Olshansky oversaw all dealmaking for the acquisition…

EXCLUSIVE: David Slack, TV writer-producer and member of WGA West's Board of Directors, has signed with Verve for representation. Verve in May became the first midsize talent agency and the first established player in the lit space to sign the WGA’s Code of Conduct — later renamed franchise agreement — which allows it…

Verve is bolstering its presence in the book world, hiring Chernin Entertainment’s Chris Lupo to head its book-to-screen business. Working alongside agent Liz Parker, who launched the agency's publishing initiative in 2018, Lupo will identify authors and journalists who control books, articles and life-rights for…

EXCLUSIVE: Verve has promoted agent Felicia Prinz to partner, bringing the total number of partners at the Los Angeles agency to seven. Prinz is credited with developing Verve’s television team, which during her tenure over the past seven-plus years, has grown from four agents to 14. Prinz works with Stephany Folsom (P…

Verve, which earlier this week became the first talent agency to respond to the #PayUpHollywood movement by pledging to boost pay of assistants and mailroom employees, has signed writer/activist Liz Alper, who is behind the initiative. Alper, is a member of the WGA West board of directors and of the guild’s 2020 MBA…

Verve is giving its assistants and mailroom employees a 25%-40% pay raise in response to #PayUpHollywood – the first known pay hikes tied directly to the movement since it was launched in October. Verve's move comes after it conducted an internal survey last month, which also prompted the talent agency to shorten…

EXCLUSIVE: Devon Schiff is returning to the agency world, joining Verve as a television agent. She will start at the Los Angeles-based firm in January. Verve is one of handful of lit agencies allowed to represent writers after signing a franchise agreement with the WGA in May. Schiff comes to Verve from Monsterfoot…

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated director Neil Marshall has signed with Verve. Marshall has directed the pilots/pilot episodes for Black Sails (Starz), Constantine (NBC), Timeless (NBC) and Lost in Space (Netflix). He directed two Game of Thrones episodes, “Blackwater” and “The Watchers of the Wall.” Marshall received a Hugo…

EXCLUSIVE: Verve has signed Powerless and A to Z creator producer Ben Queen for representation. Queen’s hourlong Heart of Life, inspired by the John Mayer song, was picked up to pilot by ABC during the 2018-19 season and currently is being redeveloped at the network. Written by Queen, Heart of Life follows two sets of…