Vim, Vigor and Verve: Talent Agency Partners Talk Industry Turmoil, Transitions and Surviving 15 Years in Hollywood

variety.com:

Verve talent agency sits on the precipice of its 15th year, managing partner Liz Parker has a mantra: “At Verve, we believe everything is fixable.” It’s an apt sentiment for the midsize firm’s journey over the last decade and a half, surviving industry turmoil and transitions while emerging as a powerful player in a lane of its own.

What began in 2010 as a literary agency across film and television has expanded exponentially to include IP, non-fiction, commercial endorsements and talent, with plans to build new businesses around sports, news, live entertainment and touring as part of a continued strategic growth plan.

It was a rocky start to 2024 for Verve with the February ouster of CEO and founding partner Bill Weinstein, who accused partners Bryan Besser and Adam Levine of “a misguided coup attempt” in a lawsuit that was later dismissed following a confidential settlement.

But that gave way to a prosperous summer, including one proud day when three Verve clients were concurrently at the helm of the biggest TV series and movie in the world, with writer and EP Sara Hess for HBO’s “House of the Dragon” and screenwriter Zeb Wells adapting Rob Liefeld’s comic book for Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” Verve closed a massive eight-figure, four-year overall deal with Hess to continue with “House of the Dragon.” The agency also now boasts a senior operations team made up of entirely women, something Parker says is representative of Verve’s doubling down on its growth trajectory. “The way we hire here at any level is that fit matters above all else,” she says. “With this group of executives, not only is the company running as smoothly as it’s ever run, but it is a really nice way to show the company and Hollywood that women in.