EXCLUSIVE: Days after a feverish auction has concluded arms, the city is still talking about the rail that is on its way. The deal for the Zach Cregger-directed horror The Dish Hears is notable because it’s only Cregger’s second film after his top-grossing debut. barbarian — and it was sold to New Line for a total of about $38 million, including the budget, with Cregger getting $5 million for directing and $10 million total when that amount is in addition to his script and production fees that go to Vertigo’s Roy Lee and Miri join. Yoon as well as JD Lifshitz and Raphael Margules.
The bid also included Universal with Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw as producers. As others circled, these two studios mattered. Sources said Uni’s bid was about $7 million less than New Line’s. We heard that Peele was willing to bring in some of his contractual backend. This is where Rashomon enters the area, and rumors spread in all directions. According to one account, Peele was angry, but we’re also told that Peele was told he would win the property if he matched New Line’s offer, but he and Universal were concerned about the budget as a business proposition, and they walked away. New Line certainly felt differently, and its recent track record in genre earnings versus budget was as good as or better than any studio in town.
A chorus of rumors followed. Like Cregger, Peele is repped by CAA and is repped by Artists First. Cregger (founder of the improv group The Whitest Kids U Know) and Peele both come from the sketch comedy improv field.
After the auction, Peele this week parted ways with his longtime Artists First managers Joel Zadak and Peter Principato, the latter of whom is also Cregger’s manager. They drew Peele while he was making an improv comic Crazy TVlong before he became an A-list writer/director Out and last NO. Artists First certainly did its job, but sometimes these auctions can erode loyalty and create an impossible situation. While the company helped client Cregger land a life-changing deal for an original idea that could lead him to a career like Peele’s, losing Peele is a blow.
Peele remains supported by the CAA.
Peele has confirmed that he will no longer be represented by Artists First.
Source: Deadline
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
