Hollywood Agency Verve Faces Rent Woes Amid Client Exodus
The boutique agency, founded by former Endeavor agents, is reportedly behind on rent and has lost a significant portion of its top clients since 2022.
Hollywood talent agency Verve is navigating significant financial and operational challenges, including being several months behind on rent for its Los Angeles office and experiencing a substantial client departure. The agency, co-founded in 2010 by Bill Weinstein, Bryan Besser, and Adam Levine, aimed to emulate the influence of larger agencies while maintaining a more writer-centric approach.
Since 2022, Verve has reportedly lost 15 of its 20 biggest clients. Notable defections include director Colin Trevorrow to WME, Oscar winner Michael Arndt to Paradigm, and "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" scribes J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay to CAA. Many of these clients, including Arndt, followed co-founder Bill Weinstein when he exited the agency in 2024. Other prominent writers who have left Verve include Mike Jones, Adele Lim, Meg LeFauve, and James Schamus. Sources indicate that recent cost-saving measures at the agency have led to assistants being assigned to multiple agents.
Verve declined to comment on the reports. However, sources suggest the agency is in lease renegotiations for its 53,000-square-foot office space on Barton Avenue, a location Verve secured in the summer of 2023 with a ten-year lease. This timing proved difficult, coinciding with the 148-day Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which disproportionately affected boutique agencies.
This situation is particularly ironic given Verve's history with the WGA. In 2019, the agency split from the Association of Talent Agencies amidst a dispute over packaging fees and agency involvement in content production. At the time, WGA negotiators John August and Meredith Stiehm joined Verve, citing its willingness to sign the WGA code and forgo packaging fees. However, both August and Stiehm later moved to UTA in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Internal disagreements reportedly arose during the industry downturn, with Besser and Levine allegedly seeking to sell the agency while Weinstein wished to adhere to its original mission. According to one agent at a rival firm, Weinstein was ousted after failing to secure sufficient control, leading to client departures and internal disarray. Verve has not commented on these allegations.
While some sources familiar with Verve's client roster suggest that less than two percent of clients have departed since Weinstein's exit, rivals have reportedly been aggressive in pursuing Verve's talent. "WandaVision" creator Jac Schaeffer moved to CAA in 2024, and other recent departures include "Hidden Figures" screenwriter Allison Schroeder to WME and "Dune: Part Three" scribe Brian K. Vaughan to UTA.
Several agencies have reportedly explored acquiring Verve, but potential suitors have been deterred by the agency's liabilities, including its substantial lease obligations and significant debt owed to former partners Weinstein and lit agent Amy Retzinger. Weinstein has reportedly filed a new arbitration claim against Verve after a prior lawsuit was settled, with sources indicating no payment has been made to him.
The talent representation industry is undergoing significant changes due to factors like private equity investment and consolidation. While agency defections are common, the challenges facing Verve, including its notable client losses and financial pressures, have garnered attention within the representation community, with many acknowledging the agency faces a difficult path forward. Despite these challenges, Verve still represents Noah Wyle, a prominent television star.