EXCLUSIVE: After months of rumors and a three month exclusive negotiating period, Anonymous Content is now near a deal to acquire the prolific production company Automatik. There’s a twist here: Deadline reported that Anonymous was in talks for Grandview/Automatik. But The Dish hears that Grandview won’t be part of the transaction and will remain a freestanding rep company.
Deal will close early next year, sources said. The separation of Grandview and Automatik is amicable, we’re told. In fact, they just had a rather pleasant holiday party.
Anonymous, run by CEO Dawn Olmstead, had been having conversations with the twinned entities since last spring. Details will emerge after the holidays, and Anonymous Content, Automatik and Grandview declined comment.
Grandview will continue as a separate entity. Company has 20 managers who work with more than 500 clients including Joe Kosinski, Ryan Condal, Justin Simien, Dan Trachtenberg, Hiro Murai, Molly Smith Metzler, Olivia Cooke and Adam Wingard.
Anonymous Content will bolster its production to go along with a strong management business.
Automatik has had more than 80 films and television shows during the past eight years – ranging from Oscar- and Emmy-winning projects including La La Land and Bad Education to commercial franchises such as Insidious and Sinister.
The Anonymous Content client roster includes Samuel L. Jackson, Emma Stone, Stanley Tucci, Julia Garner, Richard Madden, Joel Edgerton, John Hoffman, Bill Condon, Autumn de Wilde, Sally El Hosaini, John Hillcoat, Dave Kajganich, Nicholas Sparks, Marlon James, RJ Palacio, Elizabeth Gilbert, Emma Donoghue and The New York Times. Productions include The Revenant and Spotlight as well as the upcoming Foe, starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal. TV shows include True Detective, Mr. Robot and the upcoming Time Bandits.