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As WME’s chief operating officer and chief business officer, Dan Limerick helped engineer one of the most enviable deals of the year: Ryan Coogler’s pact with Warner Bros. Television. Sinnerswhich gave the director the final cut, first-dollar gross, and ownership of the rights to the film 25 years later.
“It was very strategic, and we spent a lot of time thinking about what was most important [for Coogler]“A month before we started, we had already prepared all the conditions and method we needed for the deal to be successful,” says Limerick. We wanted to be particularly clear when we went to market about what it was about and why it was important, because this was a very personal story.
Working alongside Coogler’s attorney Jonathan Gardner, director Charles D. King and others on the director’s team, Limerick helped secure terms that were almost unheard of in Hollywood: Starting in 2050, Coogler would control the licensing, distribution, remake, sequels, merchandise and broadcast rights to the Oscar-winning film. The groundwork for this began months before anyone officially sat down at the table.
“In the end, it went really well,” Limerick says. “He found the right partner who saw that vision very clearly and agreed to the necessary terms, and then along the way they were really good partners in bringing the film to the screen. The results really speak for themselves.”
Sinnerswhich received 16 Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars, wasn’t the only major move Limerick made this year. He also brokered NBCUniversal’s acquisition of all rights, except publishing, to Robert Ludlum Jason Bourne and Tradestone book series, paving the way for new installments in a series whose films have grossed more than $1.64 billion worldwide.
Limerick, a UCLA law school graduate, realized early on that entertainment law was the calling. His first stop was the independent television company Carsey-Werner, where the advantages of a smaller store soon became clear: he was involved in almost everything, from distribution and promotion to business and business affairs.
“Everything went well, so I learned a lot in a very short period of time,” he says. “I had a thirst for learning. If I wasn’t working on licensing agreements, I would pick them up and read them front to back, asking questions of people higher up. It’s really important for me to understand the way a particular company works, the way a deal works, and really the underpinnings of it.”
This scope helped him move to Warner Bros. Television, where he rose to the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer. In 2016, he joined WME as President of Television Business Affairs. Today, as COO, he is one of the agency’s key dealmakers behind the scenes.
His advice to young lawyers: “It’s important to build a really strong foundation. Learn how to think like a lawyer, learn to analyze, and [learn] Blocking and processing before you start getting more specialized. Over time, as the business changes, you can change with the business. Always try to be dynamic in thinking and learn from the best.
This story appeared in the April 8 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
