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UTA names Matt Rice president of Filmed Entertainment in leadership restructuring

UTA announced on Thursday a reorganisation of its film, TV and talent leadership, promoting Matt Rice to president of a Filmed Entertainment group, with four managing partners, new department heads and a senior-partner board.

3 outlets · 2L · 1C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: The Hollywood Reporter
Image: Deadline
Image: Variety

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The story, neutrally told

United Talent Agency announced on Thursday 1 October 2026 a reorganisation of the leadership of its Filmed Entertainment group, covering its Motion Picture Literary, Television Literary and Talent departments. Matt Rice, who had been leading the agency's TV department, was named president of Filmed Entertainment; Variety says he joined UTA in 2002 after starting at the Broder Kurland literary agency. Allan Haldeman, Blair Kohan, Jay Gassner and Julien Thuan were promoted to managing partners of Filmed Entertainment.

New department heads were named: Amanda Hymson and Jordan Lonner for Motion Picture Literary, Lucinda Moorhead and Mickey Berman for TV Literary, and Hanley Baxter and John Sacks for Talent, alongside incumbent Mike Jelline. UTA also formed a Filmed Entertainment board of senior partners with 16 members, including Mickey Berman, Jason Burns, Marissa Devins, Dan Erlij, Chris Hart, Jason Heyman, Mike Jelline, Keya Khayatian, Rich Klubeck, Billy Lazarus, Gregory McKnight, Lucinda Moorhead, David Park, Theresa Peters, Shani Rosenzweig and Larry Salz. In a memo to staff, David Kramer called the new structure "streamlined" and "future-focused", saying it would increase efficiency and collaboration and reflect the convergence of film and television; Rice said he would build on the work of the group of leaders and keep delivering "best-in-class representation".

Rice's clients include Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Mike Schur, Alec Berg, Bill Hader, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and James Gunn. Deadline adds context the others omit: Kramer's memo echoes his 26 August memo, which hit back at a Variety article about recent client departures that alleged internal anxiety; Variety's parent, Penske Media Corporation, also owns Deadline. Variety places the change in the context of the creator economy and social platforms challenging the traditional operations of large talent firms, while The Hollywood Reporter says UTA is betting that blurring lines between film, TV and commercial work favour the new structure.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left2 outlets

Framing
Trade coverage presenting the move as a response to converging film, TV and talent businesses and a changing industry.
Emphasis
Industry trends, Rice's client list and background, Kramer's and Rice's quotes.
Leaves out or plays down
Neither mentions Kramer's August memo attacking Variety's reporting on client departures.
Charged language
“dramatic step”“shakeup”
For example
“UTA has taken a dramatic step to streamline the leadership of its film and TV lit and talent departments” — Variety
“The agency is betting that as the lines between film and television” — The Hollywood Reporter

Centre1 outlet

Framing
Announcement-led account that ties the reorganisation to Kramer's earlier defence of the agency against reports of client departures.
Emphasis
Kramer's memo and the board list, plus the August dispute with Variety.
Leaves out or plays down
Gives less on wider industry forces such as the creator economy, and carries no Rice quote.
Charged language
“comprehensive reorganization”
For example
“in which he hit back at a Variety article about recent UTA client departures, which alleged internal anxiety, accusing the author of unprofessional bias” — Deadline

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.