WMA/Endeavor Merger Update

Supreme Gossip Goddess Nikki Finke says today's a big decision day for this possible merger. According to her sources, enthusiasm from Endeavor has been wavering as they weigh the pros against the cons. WMA has been "obstinate" about who would remain employed at the new agency, and everybody knows that Ari Emanuel doesn't play well with obstinate - especially when the bullheaded WMA chiefs are generally regarded as failed leaders. I'm hearing that the new company would still be called William Morris, but Ari would be running the show, which makes sense - Ari might not be warm and cuddly, but everyone agrees that he runs a very tight ship.

In addition to Nikki's comprehensive diary of the whispering gallery that Endeavor has become, her comments section provides a whole additional canvassing of opinions on the potential merger. One comment in particular was so noteworthy, Nikki twittered it last night. It's titled, "Dear W.M.A., I Quit!" It's an entertaining read, check it out.

In actual casting-related news...

Endeavor has dumped somewhere between 15% and 25% of their client roster. Comedy writer and super-blogger Ken Levine says:

The next time you watch ENTOURAGE and laugh at Ari Gold and think that character is such a funny exaggeration, just know that the real Ari (Emanuel) heads up the endeavor agency and this week they dumped 25% of their clients – writers, directors, actors. Endeavor now wishes to just represent “the best of the best”. Yeah, that Ari is a stitch!

As usual, Variety is singing a slightly more conservative tune:

Endeavor has trimmed over 100 clients from its roster, covering talent and lit clients in both film and TV... Insiders said this round of herd-thinning will claim less than 15% of the agency roster... Agents were told two months ago to begin jettisoning clients "whose interests are not being well served by the agency," to use the usual tenpercentery lingo.

Huh. I wonder who's been axed? Probably not Jessica Alba, Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, or any of the other standard Endeavor hotties. But what of the fate of Hank Azaria? Heather Goldenhersch? MACAULAY CULKIN????

UPDATE: Jesse Metcalfe got the boot, and if anyone actually cares about Jesse Metcalf, he's with Gersh now.