Immortal lands ICM's Chasman
Agent carries stellar roster
Walters has also brought on producer Matt Weaver to head film production in an effort to ramp up that part of Immortal. Walters just teamed with Weaver to produce "Chain of Fools" for Bel Air and Warner Bros.
Chasman expects to be joined by clients Jet Li, Leelee Sobieski, Kris Kristofferson, Hong Kong action helmer Cory Yuen and Dennis Rodman, with Luc Besson undecided. Chasman said his ICM exit was amicable and he expects his clients to retain an affiliation there.
"This was an opportunity to work more creatively with my clients than I could as an agent," said Chasman. "I'd always taken a managerial approach."
Repackaging
Chasman has specialized in taking on not-obvious clients and strategizing ways to create film and TV opportunities for them. Jet Li is one example. After the Chinese action star emerged as one of Hong Kong's top good guys, he made his U.S. debut playing a showy villain in "Lethal Weapon 4." That led to the Joel Silver-produced Warner Bros. feature "Romeo Must Die," which he is toplining, and to "The Invincibles," a martial arts-driven action series, just picked up by Turner, that he is exec producing with "Lethal" co-star Mel Gibson.
Yuen, who's helmed 25 actioners in Hong Kong, is expected to book his first Hollywood studio film this year after proving himself doing second unit direction and martial arts choreography on "Lethal Weapon 4," "Romeo Must Die" and "X-Men." Kristofferson has resurged in "Payback," "Blade" and its upcoming sequel; Sobieski, after "Eyes Wide Shut" and the title role in the mini "Joan of Arc," will next star in "The Glass House" for Sony.
Also joining will be Rodman. At first, Chasman made only movie deals for him, but now he also negotiates sports contracts, recently signing the five-time NBA title winner to play for the Dallas Mavericks. Chasman expects that deal to lead Immortal into the Internet game through ventures with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who used some of the billions he made through his Web business to buy his favorite hoops team.
Walters formed his Immortal Entertainment label in 1989. Fueled by top-selling rock act Korn, up-and-comers Incubus and a thriving soundtrack business, Walters last year signed a five-year joint venture with EMI's Virgin Records worth $70 million (Daily Variety, Aug. 25, 1999). That deal has now moved over as part of the Time Warner-AOL merger.
Production player
Immortal has also become a player in film production: With Weaver and his former partner Tony Lord Walters produced "Chain of Fools" for WB and Bel Air; he also produced, with Guy Oseary and Madonna, the New Line pic "Ghetto Superstar." Upcoming projects include the Artisan pic "Life Without Joe," a Fred Durst-directed film which Walters will produce with Brian Witten and Chuck Block, and "Sol Goode," a low-budget indie to be directed by Danny Comden.
That production commitment will be bolstered with the addition of Weaver, who partnered with Tony Lord for seven years at Sony and developed such films as the Harlem Globetrotters biopic to be directed by Penny Marshall at Columbia; "Billy Carter," a Columbia pic, written by Mark Childress ("Crazy in Alabama"), that Weaver and Lord will produce with Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski; and "Ohio," a story about the Kent State tragedy written by Jim Hart ("Bram Stoker's Dracula").
Walters said he will bring other managers into the fold and initiate a music management component shortly. "We are not looking to be AMG or Basic, but there is a niche for a mid-sized management company with an established record label," said Walters.
