Metropolitan Agency Not Closing Doors

The rumors began yesterday and then heated up because of an erroneous Hollywood Reporter story today. "People have been predicting my demise for 30 years," Metropolitan talent agency topper Chris Barrett just told me. But the agency has been going through tough times worsened by the recent writer's strike. So the tenpercentery has downsized to a dramatic degree: where it once had 20 agents at its height and then a dozen agents before the writers strike, Metropolitan will now consist of Barrett and 2 or 3 agents (including his sister-in-law Sara Schedeen) plus support staff handling clients, he says. "It will not look like it did before. It'll be a speed bump, not a battleship," Barrett tells me. "We're absolutely not closing. But I don't want to run a company. I want to focus on clients." Barrett concedes that tough times led to groups of agents leaving or let go. "The writers strike and current de facto strike had something to do with my decision," he says. "Those are symptoms of a much larger disruption of the economy of show business." He has an allied software business he says is thriving, MTA Interactive.

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8 Comments »

  1. Damn, and to think they were hot about my script “Mr. Binky and his Blankey.

    Comment by pb — March 18, 2008 @ 9:50 am

  2. Please tell me we’ll get a TOLDJA! if it ends up being true…

    Comment by TOLDUS? — March 18, 2008 @ 10:03 am

  3. This is going on everywhere– I’m hearing of development executives being let go here and there.

    Comment by Chrisypoo — March 18, 2008 @ 10:44 am

  4. I must have read 5000 spec scripts in my development career. Only Irv Schecter sends out more howling dogs than Metro. They won’t be missed.

    Comment by Iwishiwrote the 3 — March 18, 2008 @ 11:35 am

  5. Metro ran it’s course 18 months ago. It’s sad to see they are chosing the ‘go down fighting’ approach rather than the much more prudent ‘cut your losses’ approach.

    Comment by manny — March 19, 2008 @ 2:53 am

  6. Would anyone even notice if they did pack it up and shut down? Seriously, have they represented anyone who really matters in the past few years?

    Comment by Can't Take It Anymore — March 19, 2008 @ 7:41 am

  7. Worst company ever. Have you dealt with their “agent.” They don’t know a thinkg.

    Comment by Ben — March 19, 2008 @ 5:31 pm

  8. I used to work there. Fight on, Chris!

    Comment by Greg Thomas — March 21, 2008 @ 8:05 am

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