Motion picture literary agent, WME
- Started in the industry in film development at Lucasfilm
- Had executive stints at the Russo brothers’ AGBO and Columbia Pictures before joining WME in 2021
Hailing from a family of government public servants, Darnell has always had an eye for negotiation. “I find it pretty straightforward; my stance is ‘creative quality drives dealmaking’,” says the Los Angeles-based agent. “In this current moment, the big challenge is selling things.”
He recently struck a great deal, as the architect for Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson’s narrative directing debut The Aristocats for Disney. “I pitched it to Ahmir,” says Darnell, who was looking for “something he can come in and impress his ‘Questloveness’ into”. Darnell also drove a competitive deal for horror Goat from his clients Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, which Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw and Universal won in a bidding war.
His client list includes UK crossover talent, both writers and writer/directors (Emma Moran, Nathan Bryon, Runyararo Mapfumo) and actors (Sope Dirisu, Will Poulter, Toheeb Jimoh). “We are trying to crack them into the US market,” says Darnell. “It is about making sure filmmakers, producers, financiers all know about them here — it’s a very 360-degree business.”
Contact: edarnell@wmeentertainment.com
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