They could write ‘a UTA company’ in small print, I guess.” The Curtis Brown story & what’s next?Ĭurtis Brown, founded in 1899 and now led by Geller, boasts more than 240 employees and represents actors such as Robert Pattinson, Stanley Tucci, Dev Patel, the next star of Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa, his Sex Education co-star Emma Mackey, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw among others in robust TV, film and theatre departments. YMU insisted on rebranding Troika and that went downhill very quickly. While it’s hard to predict where any business in the industry will be in a few years, one veteran UK agent and media investor warned: “UTA needs to leave Curtis Brown alone. Multiple sources have speculated to us that a long-term play could see the company turn into an American bridgehead - a ‘UTA Europe.’ Others are less convinced about compatibility: “There is no way in the world that you buy it to leave it the same in the long term,” said one senior Brit agent with good knowledge of the companies. “It’s difficult to merge the cultures of two agencies.” “These are two deserving, quality companies,” said the CEO of one major Brit agency. agency spaces, there are differing views on the sustainability of such a model. “Our team are genuinely enthusiastic about the opportunities this offers our clients, as well as the potential for the agencies’ continued growth.” “Of course our staff had questions at first but they were quickly reassured that this deal was founded on an admiration for each other’s business and a deep respect for our longstanding relationships with other agency partners in the UK and the U.S.,” Curtis Brown Group CEO Jonny Geller told Deadline. Indeed, both companies have been on paths of expansion in the last few years and we hear there’s little appetite for major cultural overhaul.
The agency insists the deal is fundamentally better for its clients, opening up more opportunities across both sides of the Atlantic. “This acquisition is predicated on our deep respect for Curtis Brown Group’s leadership, team and culture, as well as great respect for all of our UK partners and our longstanding way of doing business together,” UTA told Deadline. Cuts are not expected, the firm also said. For now, there are no plans to merge the two businesses and each entity will operate side by side. UTA has stressed it will not alter the Curtis Brown model and says there is a deep respect for the culture of the 123-year-old UK agency.
rivals in a vital overseas market.Ĭould the move be a precursor to much bigger structural changes and more consolidation? And, as many are wondering, is this the beginning of the “Americanization” of UK agenting where Hollywood agencies will swallow up UK firms to gain greater long-term cultural influence? The UTA deal with Curtis Brown is very different, and by aligning itself with one of the oldest literary agencies in the business with a strong connection to IP, UTA will be hoping it can steal a march on U.S. Ultimately, the advent of Covid meant the plan was scuppered and Cook later left the agency to became a partner at Range Media Partners. Inevitably, not all UK agents were thrilled at the prospect. Most recently, WME planned to launch a UK office in 2019 under respected literary agent Rich Cook. agencies are weighing up stronger footholds in the UK, it’s not always easily achieved. While there are no signs yet that UTA is going to demand Curtis Brown send its best British clients their way, many within the wider agency community are wondering whether this will change down the line. This is an indicator that, for now at least, it remains business as usual for Curtis Brown and UTA. agencies – the newly bulked-up CAA (following the acquisition of ICM), WME and UTA – to discuss a potential signing.
He’s repped by Curtis Brown, and Deadline understands that he and his British agent, Sam Turnbull, have met with all of the three major U.S. After his breakout role as mop-haired metal head Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, Quinn has become one of the most in-demand rising UK talents up for grabs in the U.S. A current interesting case study involves British actor Joseph Quinn.
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