On this Monday's edition of The Business, Kim Masters and I bantered about several topics including:
- News that South African comedian Trevor Noah would be the new host of The Daily Show following Jon Stewart's departure was at first greeted with enthusiasm and excitement. Then, just as quickly, the backlash came. Should some racist, sexist and unfunny tweets from years ago keep Noah from taking over as host? For now, Comedy Central is standing by their man.
- A group of agents from CAA suddenly defect and move to UTA, taking some big name comedy clients like Chris Pratt and Will Ferrell with them. These types of moves are rare in the industry and will likely be the start of a protracted legal battle.
- More details emerge in the partnership between the Huayi brothers and STX studios. Their focus is going to me on making mid-range budget movies, an area that's been overshadowed as studios focus more on super-hero blockbusters.
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On last Thursday's Hollywood Breakdown, Kim Masters and I talked all about UTA's raid of CAA:
The Hollywood talent agency known as the "Death Star" suffered an unwelcome surprise this week when a handful of CAA's most powerful agents jumped ship and landed at rival agency UTA. Ten agents have left, and there may be more to come. Included in the move are agents Jason Heyman and Martin Lesak, who ran CAA's comedy division, and take with them clients like Will Ferrell, Chris Pratt, Melissa McCarthy and Ed Helms. Insiders speculate that the move came down to money and agents hoping they could get more of it, along with additional opportunities at UTA. Major agent moves like this are rare within the industry and could be the onset of a protracted legal battle.
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On Monday's Press Play with Madeleine Brand, Indiewire's Liz Shannon Miller and I discussed:
Mad Men isn’t the only show grabbing viewers' attention. AMC’s Better Call Saul, a spin-off of Breaking Bad, is wrapping up its first season tonight. Also, a lesser-known show called Outlander, which is based on a series of novels set in 18th century Scotland, begins a new season on Starz. We discuss those and the much talked about revival of Twin Peaks, which may now be heading to the valley of the damned.
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