MAM
Fifa, Hollywood team up for movie trilogy
ZURICH: Now fans of football can feast on action on the silver screen with the help of tinseltown magic. Fifa and some of the leading producers in the US film industry have announced a co-operation agreement.
This will set the pace for the ‘worlds favourite sport’ to be at the centre of a major Hollywood trilogy. The first film is scheduled to be launched next year.
Producer Lawrence Bender, who has produced virtually all Quentin Tarantino’s films to date including the Oscar winner Pulp Fiction has joined forces with producers and former media and sports industry executives Mike Jefferies and Matt Barrelle. They are developing what is being billed as the most powerful football movie of all time.
The contract was signed yesterday between Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Bender. Goal! tells the fictional story of a Latino soccer player who rises from the slums of Los Angeles to join a small northern English club and eventually plays in the World Cup. The sequel in expected in 2005 and the third film in 2006. Reports have stated that Bender has likened the series to the Sylvester Stallone Rocky films which dealt with boxing. The budget for the first film has been pegged at $30 million.
With this agreement Pelé’s words have proven prophetic. “Football is entertainment, and the entertainment industry will increasingly notice football in the future”. Meanwhile an AP report indicates that Fifa will not have any direct financial involvement in the movie. Its role will involve endorsing and marketing the film, introducing film makers to its sponsors and providing technical support.
Talks for cooperation are at an advanced stage with English Premiership clubs, including Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester United and Liverpool the report states. Actors chosen will attend an intensive training camp in the UK in mid-October.
MAM
Collective Artists Network reshuffles talent leadership
Fiona D’Souza, Jinal Jhaveri and Arjun Banerjee take expanded roles in core division.
MUMBAI: Collective Artists Network just handed the talent baton to its homegrown stars because when your agents have been building careers this long, it’s time to let them run the show. Collective Artists Network has announced the next phase of leadership for its talent management business, elevating senior agents Fiona D’Souza, Jinal Jhaveri and Arjun Banerjee to expanded roles within the division. The move strengthens the company’s foundational talent arm while it continues to grow into content creation and production-led ventures.
Each of the three has played a significant part in shaping artist careers across films, digital platforms and brand partnerships. Together they now represent the next generation of leadership for Collective’s talent operations, with a continued focus on long-term career building, strong partnerships and adapting representation to a fast-changing media landscape.
Collective Artists Network founder and Group CEO Vijay Subramaniam remains actively involved in guiding artist strategy and key relationships. He said, “Talent management has been the foundation on which Collective was built, and that philosophy continues to guide how we grow the company. As we enter this next phase, it’s important that the people leading this business have both deep context and long-term convictions.”
Collective Artists Network partner and head of talent Janahavi Rawal added, “Collective’s talent business has always been built on trust, long-term thinking, and a deep understanding of where artists want to go next. Fiona, Jinal, and Arjun have each played an important role in shaping the careers of the artists we represent, and this phase is about empowering our senior agents further while building the right support systems around them.”
The leadership evolution reflects Collective’s belief in promoting from within and creating clear ownership across verticals. In a talent world where yesterday’s agent is tomorrow’s partner, Collective isn’t just reshuffling chairs, it’s handing the spotlight to the people who’ve been quietly directing the show all along.
