UTA Signs Five Top Digital Culinary Creators (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: Abby Phillip, CNN’s senior political correspondent and anchor of Inside Politics Sunday, an hourlong program focused on the week’s most important political storylines, has signed with UTA. The agency will represent her across news and broadcasting, culture and commerce, scripted and unscripted television, podcasting, publishing, speaking engagements, the UTA Foundation and more.

EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Vincent Grashaw has signed with Gersh for representation.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Following the world premiere of “My Neighbor Adolf” on the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Beta Cinema has sold the dark comedy to Vendetta Films, which will bring the Udo Kier and David Hayman starrer to cinemas across Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of next year.  Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before. The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes. One day, a mysterious old German man – played by Kier – moves in next door, and Polsky suspects that his new neighbor is… Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like – so close that the two could almost become friends.

EXCLUSIVE: Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack has signed with WME.

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Clement Virgo has signed with WME in advance of the TIFF world premiere of Brother, starring Lamar Johnson, Aaron Pierre and Marsha Stephanie Black. His debut feature, Rude, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard and opened the Perspectives Canada program at TIFF.  His credits includes the boxing drama Poor Boy’s Game, Lie With Me and Love Come Down.

Roy Trakin British synthpop pioneer Howard Jones has signed with Jonathan Wolfson, joining a roster that includes Daryl Hall & John Oates, Loverboy and Fee Waybill’s The Tubes. “Being a proud Gen X-er, I was always a big fan,” said Wolfson. “Not only was Howard Jones a ubiquitous force on MTV, but his eternally optimistic songs have also passed the test of time.  His current live show is a celebration of his legacy, as well as the present, and things to come.” Jones, who was managed from the beginning of his career in the early ‘80s by U.K.-based David Stopps, parted ways “amicably” seven years ago to handle his career with wife Jan, but was introduced to Wolfson by his agent, Paradise Artists’ Rick Shoor, who invited the manager to see the artist’s June show at Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer UTA’s influencer management firm Digital Brand Architects has acquired golf marketing and digital talent management company Digital Golf Collective, Variety has learned exclusively. Founded by Jess McAlister and Sean Guerrero, DGC focuses on managing strategy and branding for leading creators, brands, events and tournaments in the golf industry. Under the acquisition, DGC’s individual digital talent and branding clients, including Tisha Alyn, Ryan Rustand and Cassandra Meyer, will join DBA’s client list. DGC’s day-to-day operations will continue to be run by McAlister and Guerrero, who will dually report to DBA’s CEO Raina Penchansky and senior vice president of finance AD Rastogi. 

EXCLUSIVE: Award-winning Senegalese filmmaker Alice Diop (Saint Omer) has signed with CAA for representation.

of “Top Gun: Maverick” earlier this year.Kilmer made the revelation during an email interview with IGN — he’s unable to speak after a tracheotomy several years ago — that was posted on the reporter’s Twitter feed.“We now have multiple universes in comic book movies where actors who’ve played Batman or Spider-Man in the past team up with the current actor playing the role. Would you have any interest in playing Batman/Bruce Wayne again even in a cameo?” asked the IGN reporter.

Carson Burton Benny Boom, the television director who has worked on franchises such as “CSI: Vegas” and “Magnum PI,” has signed with the Gersh Agency for representation.Boom, well-known for his revered work in the music video industry, has in recent years bolstered his television directing credits with his work on franchises such as Showtime’s “City on a Hill,” “Black Lightning,” “The Equalizer,” “NCIS: LA” and “Chicago PD.” He also directed the 2017 Tupac Shakur biographical film “All Eyez on Me,” which starred Demetrius Shipp Jr. and Kat Graham.

EXCLUSIVE: star Alexa Demie has signed with UTA in all areas. The agency will expand Demie’s business across a range of verticals, including film, television, music, fashion, and fine arts.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorBoss Beauties, an NFT company and women-empowerment brand launched last year, has signed with WME.WME will exclusively represent Boss Beauties in all areas and assist in adapting its intellectual property across Web3, film, TV, digital and gaming platforms, as well as live events and brand partnerships.Boss Beauties’ first NFT collection, consisting of 10,000 unique digital portraits of independent diverse women, sold out in 90 minutes. Each portrait of women in the brand’s signature NFT collections represents qualities aligned with the company’s mission of supporting young women in designing the life and career of their dreams.

EXCLUSIVE: Seth Carr, known for his work in Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther and Disney+’s The Mysterious Benedict Society, among others, has signed with Gersh for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed actor Abigail Cowen for representation in all areas.