February 2017 Agency Moves, From Ryan Gosling to Dakota Fanning

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The Highlight Reel

• CAA has won the Ryan Gosling Sweepstakes. The Oscar-nominated La La Land star had been without an agent for a while. Here’s hoping he stays true to his artistic self, otherwise it won’t be long before he’s cast as a superhero in one comic book movie universe or another. I didn’t care for Gosling’s over-stylized directorial debut, but under CAA’s expert guidance, I’d actually like to see him give it another shot behind the camera. We’ll see if he’s willing to become the tentpole leading man the studios want him to be following Blade Runner 2049.
• But who cares about Best Actor nominees when CAA signed actual Oscar winner Jean Dujardin. You remember him from The Artist. Besides a pair of forgettable turns in The Wolf of Wall Street and Monuments Men, Dujardin hasn’t really done much with his big opportunity. But if anyone can find the French actor plum parts that cater to his thick accent, it’s CAA.
• WME scored a major signing of its own by bringing Dakota Fanning back into the fold. Fanning is one of the most talented actresses of her generation and at just 23, she’s continuing her transition from precocious child star to formidable adult actress. She’ll soon begin filming The Alienist for TNT, and it’ll be up to her new team at WME to work alongside manager Brittany Kahan to help Fanning maintain that momentum going forward. The agency already reps her younger sister Elle, who has been thriving of late.
• February means Sundance signings, and there were several notable partnerships made in Park City. WME signed Roxanne Roxanne breakout Chanté Adams, while CAA signed Patti Cake$ sensation Danielle Macdonald and Novitiate director Maggie Betts. A lot of female talent emerged from Sundance this year (just as new WME client Nicole Kassell did back in 2004), and the festival should pride itself on these fresh discoveries. Now it’s time for CAA and WME to capitalize on the moment this trio is currently having.
• And finally, two famous men with even more famous fathers found new agency homes last month. James Jagger, who impressed the hell out of me on HBO’s Vinyl, signed with ICM, while Patrick Schwarzenegger signed with UTA. Their last names may have helped get them in the Hollywood door at the start of their careers, but it’s their respective talents that will keep them here. We wish them both the best of luck as they continue to carve out a name for themselves as up-and-coming actors.

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 Jeff Sneider | Editor in Chief