 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 1997 (original) 2015 (relaunch) |
| Defunct | 2008 (original) |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California |
Key people | Jeff Kwatinetz |
| Products | Film production Television production Talent management |
| Subsidiaries | Prospect Park |
The Firm is a film and television production and talent management company based inSanta Monica, California. Established in 1997, it ceased operations in November 2008 and was relaunched by its founder,Jeff Kwatinetz, in August 2015. The Firm's divisions also include a record label and a marketing group.[1][2]
The Firm was founded by managersJeff Kwatinetz andMichael Green in 1997. Operating originally out of Kwatinetz' Malibu apartment, the company was described by theLos Angeles Times as "racing through the music industry with the velocity of a bullet train" and by 2000, represented a stable of actors and musicians that had generated more than $1.5 billion in gross revenue.[3] Kwatinetz partnered with David Baram and Rick Yorn to help run the operation later bringing on new talent includingCriss Angel andDenzel Washington.
In 2002, The Firm purchasedMichael Ovitz's Artist Management Group (AMG) and in 2004, it merged with entertainment consulting company Integrated Entertainment Partners (IEP), led by Rich Frank, a former president ofDisney studios.[4][5][6] During its first incarnation, the company representedLeonardo DiCaprio,Cameron Diaz,Robert De Niro,Kelly Clarkson,Korn,Ice Cube,Snoop Dogg,Dixie Chicks,Linkin Park,Backstreet Boys,Jennifer Lopez,Britney Spears,Limp Bizkit, andDC Pierson, among others. In addition to the individual successes of their clients, the company was noted for its prescience in melding celebrities with consumer brands and for its role as an architect of the $2.6 billion acquisition of Warner Music by a private equity consortium.[7] While in 2003, the subsidiary Firm Films had reached a first-look deal with 20th Century Fox.[8]
The Firm ceased operations in 2008.[citation needed]
Several months after the Firm was closed, Kwatinetz and Frank foundedProspect Park, an entertainment company which replicated the scope of The Firm.[2][7][9] Financed through Kwatinetz' personal assets, Prospect Park focused on TV and film development and production and included an artist management division and a record company. In 2013, it launched the short-livedOnline Network with the soap operasOne Life to Live andAll My Children.[2][7][9] The company shut down both shows in 2013 as it filed a lawsuit againstABC, from whom they had licensed the rights to both series.[10][11] Prospect Park declared bankruptcy in 2014, pending an outcome on the lawsuit.[12]
In August 2015, it was announced that the Firm had been reactivated, a decision which Kwatinetz said was based on feedback from the creative community. Prospect Park senior executives Jeremy Summers,Angelica Cob-Baehler and Josh Barry transitioned to The Firm, andRobbie Brenner, formerly the president of production atRelativity Media, was named president of The Firm's film division shortly after the company relaunched.[13]
Under the banner of Prospect Park Productions, the Firm produces the television seriesSalem forWGN America andUSA Network'sRoyal Pains; as of 2015,Salem was in its third season andRoyal Pains in its eighth. As of 2015, the company had projects in development for broadcast, cable and digital platforms which includedBlack Heart forABC,Talent forNBC,Tough Love forAmazon,Hard Foul forShowtime,A Midsummer’s Nightmare (Lifetime),Relics (Sony International Networks). Prospect Park produced FX'sWilfred, which ran from 2011 through 2014.[1][14]
The Firm managesIce Cube's production company, Cube Vision. Cube Vision producedStraight Outta Compton, as well as theFriday,Barbershop and theRide Along film franchises. Kwatinetz has managed Ice Cube since 1996.[15][16]
In addition to Ice Cube, the Firm managesP.O.D., andDead Sara, among others. It operates Prospect Park Records, which has released records by artists includingAzealia Banks,Korn,You Me at Six, andFive Finger Death Punch, who hit No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart with their 2015 releaseGot Your Six.[17][18]
The company is also developing non-basketball-related revenue and marketing opportunities for theNational Basketball Players Association.[13]