William Morris Agency (WMA) & Endeavor Agree To Merge Creating One Of The Largest Talent Agencies In The World
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Endeavor and the William Morris Agency (WMA) agreed to a merger that will dramatically reshape the world of Hollywood’s top talent agencies.
William Morris Agency’s 20 person board and Endeavor’s 28 partners, in separate meetings, approved the deal, the largest combination of two existing talent agencies in Hollywood history. While things will not be finalized for several weeks as they wait for regulatory approvals, the stage is already set as rival talent agencies will most likely attempt to lure agents and clients away from the new combined agency.
The new talent agency will operate under the name William Morris Endeavor (WME) Entertainment, preserving the famous William Morris name that has become synonymous with representing top Hollywood actresses and talent while giving Endeavor room in the spotlight. The new agency will position itself as a serious competitor to dominant talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
The merged talent agency which will unite William Morris Agency (founded in 1898) with the upstart Endeavor will recharge William Morris Agency’s film and TV departments by bringing in a wealth of talent represented by Endeavor. It also will open the doors for the Endeavor side to have a stronger presence in music, publishing, and corporate representation, areas that are William Morris Agency’s strengths.
The new agency’s motion picture department will see William Morris Agency’s marquee names including actors Mel Gibson, Denzel Washington, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta and Steve Martin joining forces with Endeavor represented talent such as actors Adam Sandler, Matt Damon, Keira Knightly and Shia LaBeouf. The new combined agency will also have a formidable lineup of directing talent, bringing such Endeavor clients as Martin Scorsese, Danny Boyle and David Cronenberg together with William Morris Agency’s J. J. Abrams, Michael Bay, and Ridley Scott.
The new combined agency is expected to make more than $300 million United States dollars in annual revenue.
At the moment, William Morris Agency (WMA) houses about 300 agents, and Endeavor has approximately 80 agents. The new combined agency is expected to fire approximately 100 agents, many of which will come from the William Morris Agency (WMA) ranks, which could create an uncomfortable period of assimilation as the merged companies blend their disparate cultures.
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