Latest in WME

Oral arguments were heard today in federal court on the Big 3 talent agencies' motion to dismiss the WGA's antitrust suit against them. If U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. denies the motion, the case would be headed for trial in March 2021 after a lengthy and costly discovery process, in which the sides…

EXCLUSIVE: WME has signed Brit acting talent Billy Howle for representation in all areas. Howle recently wrapped shooting a lead role in BBC and Netflix serial-killer drama The Serpent, alongside Jenna Coleman and Tahar Rahim. The show is expected to air this year. His TV credits also include BBC series MotherFatherSon…

Friday's scheduled hearing on the Big 3 talent agencies' motions to dismiss the WGA's antitrust suit against them has been rescheduled for January 24. U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. gave no reason for the one-week postponement. Earlier this month, the judge denied the WGA's motion to dismiss the agencies'…

EXCLUSIVE: Eva Orner, the Oscar-winning filmmaker whose latest credit is the buzzy Netflix original doc Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, has signed for representation with WME. The Australian director picked up her Oscar for producing Alex Gibney's 2008 doc Taxi To The Dark Side, and also won a Daytime Emmy for…

EXCLUSIVE: WME has signed Brit rising talent Jack Spring for representation in the U.S. Spring came onto the scene with debut feature film Destination: Dewsbury, a road-trip movie about four friends who travel to visit their high school pal before he dies. The filmmaker was 19 when he made the indie pic, which…

UPDATED with WGA and agencies’ statements, more info: A federal judge has denied the WGA’s motion to dismiss antitrust lawsuits filed by Hollywood agencies CAA, WME and UTA against the guild. The ruling (read it here) by U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. formally denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, or…

The long standoff between the WGA and the Big Three talent agencies could go on much longer. The two sides in a court filing Friday have proposed a trial start date of March 2021 for their legal showdown that has already lasted more than eight months. The filing, which includes a scheduling worksheet (read it here)…

The WGA has filed its opposition to the Big Three talent agencies' motion to dismiss the guild's antitrust and price-fixing claims in their ongoing legal battle. The WGA's opposition, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, argues that the motion to dismiss – filed by WME, CAA and UTA – "largely ignores the detailed…

The television business is becoming increasingly global, fueled by the rapid expansion of the major streaming platforms. That also goes for the major Hollywood talent agencies. Reps have always looked for opportunities beyond the U.S. But now, because of the increased demand for locally produced international content…

UPDATED with quotes from attorneys, WGA reaction and more detail: A federal judge on Friday indicated he’ll refuse to throw out the federal antitrust lawsuits filed by Hollywood heavyweight agencies CAA, WME and UTA against the Writers Guild of America. In a crucial hearing for the high-profile guild-vs.-agencies…

A federal judge has denied the Justice Department's request to participate in Friday's hearing on the WGA's motion to dismiss the Big Three talent agencies' antitrust lawsuits against the guild. It's a major procedural victory for the guild, which said last week that it saw no reason for the DOJ to take part in the…

2nd UPDATE, 3:48 PM: In a move reminiscent of its recent Supreme Court co-headlining appearance with Comcast, the Department of Justice today is seeking to speak at a pivotal upcoming hearing in the Writer Guild of America’s antitrust dust-up with WME, CAA and UTA. The Makan Delrahim-led antitrust unit of Donald Trump…