Zach Woods Signs With Gersh Agency (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Mortal Media, the film and TV production company co-founded by Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil, has signed with WME for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. WME will rep Mortal Media’s scripted and unscripted slate, while also helping the company expand into brand partnerships and creative marketing services. In addition, Griffin has signed with WME for off-court representation.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed stand-up comedian, actor, and creator Frankie Quiñones (This Fool) for representation in all areas.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Heatseeking filmmaker Olmo Schnabel has signed for representation with WME, and with Black Bear for management. Schnabel’s breakout directorial effort “Pet Shop Days” played both the Venice International Film Festival and SXSW this cycle, scoring distribution from Utopia for a 2024 theatrical release. Starring Darío Yazbek Bernal, Willem Dafoe and Peter Sarsgaard, the film tells of a drug lord scion on the run from his powerful family.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Lucius has signed with Fantasy Records for future album releases, including the first to come down the chute in the deal, an all-new re-recording of the group’s seminal “Wildewoman” album. Set for release May 31, “Wildewoman (The New Recording)” will include 12-13 freshly recorded tracks, including songs with featured appearances by Brandi Carlile, Marcus Mumford and Devon Gilfillian.

Christopher Durang, one of American’s most acclaimed and accomplished playwrights whose works like Beyond Therapy, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and the Tony-winning Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike were as incisive as they were absurdly comic, died Tuesday night at his home in Pipersville, Pa., in Bucks County. He was 75.

Katcy Stephan Filmmaker Caroline Lindy has signed with CAA, Variety can exclusively reveal. Lindy is the writer and director of the romantic-comedy horror film “Your Monster,” which debuted in the Midnight section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Lindy previously directed the short films “Kindred Spirit” and “Aspirational Slut,” the latter of which was awarded the Audience Award at the 2022 SXSW and Montreal’s Just For Laughs Comedy Festival.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Searchlight Pictures has signed a first-look deal with Olivia Colman and Ed Sinclair’s South of the River Pictures. Under the new pact, the specialty studio, which has worked with Colman on “The Favourite” and “Empire of Light,” will develop and produce feature-length motion pictures with the production company. South of the River Pictures was founded by Colman, Sinclair and their long-time partner in crime, Tom Carver, to develop and produce original scripted comedies and dramas with “an authored sensibility.” Colman and Sinclair have been married since 2001.

EXCLUSIVE: Shakira Barrera has signed with Innovative Artists for representation.

Actor-writer-director D.B. Sweeney has signed with Defining Artists for representation.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Takashi Yamazaki, the Japanese filmmaker behind Oscar-winning smash hit “Godzilla Minus One,” has signed with CAA for representation. “Godzilla Minus One,” on which Yamazaki served as writer, director and VFX supervisor, earned the first-ever nomination and win for a Japanese production in the VFX category at the Academy Awards earlier this month. The film beat strong contenders such as “The Creator,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.

EXCLUSIVE: Saturday Night Live alum Chris Parnell has signed with Buchwald for representation. 

EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated Beef actor and artist Joseph Lee has signed with Gersh for representation in all areas.

Random House will publish a memoir by Wicked director Jon M. Chu this summer.

EXCLUSIVE: Julianne Hough has signed with UTA for representation in all areas.

EXCLUSIVE: 2 Broke Girls and Thor actress Kat Denningshas signed with Gersh for representation.

EXCLUSIVE: Gina Carano (The Mandalorian, Deadpool) has signed with Straightwire Entertainment Group for management.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Rachel Bloom has signed with WME for representation in all areas, Variety has learned exclusively. She continues to be repped by Sugar23, Ginsburg Daniels Kallis LLP, and April Tombs at YMU.

K.J. Yossman Actor, comedian and activist Emily Atack has signed with Curtis Brown for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. She will be repped by the agency in all areas.

Jaden Thompson Zach Galifianakis has been cast in Season 4 of Hulu‘s “Only Murders in the Building,” Variety has learned. Like recently announced cast member Kumail Nanjiani, Galifianakis’ role in the mystery-comedy series is currently kept under wraps. However, an individual with knowledge of the situation can confirm his character is “integral to the twist and turns of this season’s investigation.” The three series leads remain Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as true crime-obsessed neighbors that get caught up in real cases.

EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Marie Garcia (On My Block, Lopez Vs. Lopez) has signed with CAA for representation.