Recession Whacks Tinseltown Agents

New studio heads place bets on 'branded entertainment'

(NEWSER) - In previous downturns, the corporate owners of America's movie studios would cut Hollywood some slack. Not anymore: these days, the corporate suites of LA look like the aftermath of a slasher flick, with old hands kicked out at Disney, Universal, MGM, and Paramount. With DVD sales down 25% and easy financing a thing of the past, "there's been more change in the last 18 months than in the preceding 18 years," one exec tells the Los Angeles Times. More»

Rahm's brother set to become this century's first Hollywood mogul

(NEWSER) - Not only is super-agent Ari Emanuel one of the biggest players in Tinseltown, he’s changing the game, and could be the 21st century’s first Hollywood mogul, the Independent reports. The brother of President Obama’s chief of staff believes talent firms must become multi-faceted in order to survive—“essentially taking over much of the traditional role of the studio,” one writer says. More»

As star payouts dip, William Morris and Endeavor join forces

(NEWSER) - Two of Hollywood's top talent agencies agreed to merge today amid declining revenues in film and television, Variety reports. Pending government approval, the venerable William Morris Agency will share a new Beverly Hills office with 14-year-old Endeavor—and likely spark a flurry of clients and agents scurrying for new representation. More»

Rahm's brother takes charge with agency merger

(NEWSER) - Ari Emanuel has soared to new prominence in the past few months since his talent agency, Endeavor, merged with William Morris. Now, he’s Hollywood’s “pre-eminent power player,” write Michael Cieply and Brooks Barnes in the New York Times. But what drives him? Says a producer: “It’s about respect” for Emanuel, a onetime evictee who now calls a $10 million pad home. More»

(NEWSER) - Lucy Gordon, a British actress who played a small role in Spider-Man 3, was found dead in her Paris apartment yesterday, the Telegraph reports. The 28-year-old appears to have hanged herself. Elsewhere:

• Hugh Hefner’s ex Kendra Wilkinson has no problem with his new girlfriends—in fact, they’re invited to her wedding, she tells E! “They're cool,” she says. “I like them."