‘Millionaire Matchmaker’ Patti Stanger Signs With IAG (EXCLUSIVE)

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor NPR veteran Lakshmi Singh has signed with CAA for representation.; Singh, who has been with NPR for 23 years and has one of the public-broadcasting service’s most familiar voices, anchors midday coverage for NPR Newscasts, some of the most-heard content produced by the news outlet. Her work has drawn recognition from Women of Color in Communications for “contributions to the field, mentorship to other women in communications and broad impact on the promotion of ethnic diversity in journalism”, as well as the Asian American/Asian Research Institute and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.

EXCLUSIVE: Persephonica, the producer behind hit daily news podcast The News Agents, has signed with WME in a bid to win more work across the pond.

Ethan Shanfeld Kehlani has signed with Wasserman Music for worldwide representation. The two-time Grammy nominated R&B singer last released an album in 2022, titled “Blue Water Road” and then embarked on a world tour that featured a series of sold-out two-night stands at New York’s Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles’ YouTube Theater and London’s O2 Academy Brixton.

EXCLUSIVE: Greg Tarzan Davis has signed with Range Media Partners.

Armando Christian Pérez, Pitbull, has re-joined WME for representation in all areas worldwide.

BreAnna Bell Harley-Davidson Motor Company has signed with CAA for representation, Variety has learned. As part of the deal, CAA will work closely with Harley-Davidson to create entertainment opportunities for its existing IP across film, television, music, and podcasts, adding to the company’s historic brand and deepening its connection with both its devoted fan base, and new consumers, through pop culture.

EXCLUSIVE: Grace Van Dien has signed with WME for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated screenwriter, playwright, producer and director Kemp Powers has signed with WME.

Brent Lang Executive Editor David Slade, the director of the Emmy and BAFTA-award winning “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” has signed with 42, the Los Angeles and London-based management and production company. The company will manage the filmmaker, who also joins 42’s commercials offering OB42 for representation in the U.K.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor and filmmaker Celyn Jones, best known for his work on pics like The Almond And The Seahorse, Six Minutes to Midnight, and Chuck Chuck Baby, has signed with UK agency United Agents. 

EXCLUSIVE: Actor and rapper KaMillion has signed with Anonymous Content for representation in all areas.

EXCLUSIVE: Tyler Stanaland, one of the stars of Selling the OC, has signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated actress Shailene Woodley has signed with CAA for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Two time Emmy-nominated actor Margaret Qualley has signed with CAA for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Padma Lakshmi has signed with CAA for representation.

BreAnna Bell Director and screenwriter Sofia Alaoui has signed with WME for representation in all areas. She continues to be represented by Jerome Duboz of Ithaka Media. Born in Casablanca and raised in China, Alaoui is a French-Moroccan artist with an aim to create cinema that spans across borders and bends genres in new ways.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer The Minions are about the get the white glove treatment, as Variety has learned that CAA has signed Illumination CEO and prolific animation producer Chris Meledandri as a client. Meledandri, who founded the company and is responsible for two of the four highest-grossing animated franchises of all time (“Despicable Me,” “Ice Age”), will be represented by a team including the agency’s co-chairman Bryan Lourd. Illumination has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Pictures, most recently delivering this year’s $1.3 billion baby “Super Mario Bros.” starring Chris Pratt and Anya-Taylor Joy.

Jack Antonoff has announced an extensive new partnership with Dirty Hit, as well as a new venture with its founder and The 1975 manager, Jamie Oborne.The news of the new collaboration and partnership was shared by Variety earlier today (August 21), which also announced Antonoff’s new agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group.According to the outlet, the multifaceted deal will see the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer and his band Bleachers, now managed by Oborne, signed to the latter’s independent label Dirty Hit. The label is also home to The 1975, Rina Sawayama, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee and moreFollowing the new partnership, Bleachers have announced that they will be sharing a new live album later this week – which will be their first release on Dirty Hit.Titled “Live At Radio City Music Hall,” the LP will be available this Friday (August 25) and can be pre-ordered here.

EXCLUSIVE: M88 on Tuesday announced its signing of Andrew Lopez, a fast-rising multi-hyphenate who, with appearances on Apple TV+’s Platonic and FX’s The Bear, has made his mark on two of the most buzzy series in recent memory.

Nicky Whelan has signed with Stewart Talent for representation.