Rick Nicita to Join Morgan Creek as Co-Chairman

Rick Nicita to Join Morgan Creek as Co-Chairman

LOS ANGELES, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Rick Nicita, the longtime co-chairman and a managing partner of Creative Artists Agency, and James G. Robinson, founder and chairman of Morgan Creek Productions, announced today that Nicita is leaving the agency business to join Morgan Creek, where he and Robinson will run the company together as co-chairmen.

Robinson will continue as CEO of the company, while Nicita will serve as COO.

Nicita will take up his new post on August 15.

"My excitement over starting a new chapter in my career with Jim Robinson and Morgan Creek is matched only by my sadness at leaving the great company that is CAA," Nicita said. "But in today's movie business, Morgan Creek's ability to finance its own pictures made my decision to work with Jim an irresistible one. I hope to be able to use the skills, insights and relationships that I have developed as an agent to make movies that will succeed both commercially and artistically."

"Rick Nicita has both business acumen and impeccable taste, and I'm looking forward to sharing the reins with him," said Robinson. "Working together, I fully expect the two of us to take Morgan Creek to a higher level."

"We have been more than fortunate for so many years to work beside someone as talented, and kind, and wise as Rick Nicita," said CAA President Richard Lovett. "He has been an inspiring figure for countless agents, demonstrating extraordinary care for clients and colleagues alike. Although we will miss our partner, we look forward to continuing to work with our great friend."

With Nicita joining Robinson at the helm, Morgan Creek will continue making a wide variety of mainstream, commercial movies. The company currently has a slate of projects in various stages of development, and Nicita and Robinson expect to be green-lighting three to four pictures a year that will be distributed though the company's exclusive deal with Universal Pictures.

Rick Nicita graduated from Wesleyan University in 1967 and began his career at the William Morris Agency in New York in 1968. He worked in the Motion Picture Department representing actors and actresses until 1976, when he transferred to the William Morris office in Beverly Hills.

In 1980, he joined CAA, where he went on to co-head the Motion Picture Department and head the Talent Department before being named co-chairman of the agency. Over the years, he has represented many of the world's leading actors and directors, including Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Kurt Russell, Jeff Bridges, Garry Marshall, Kevin Costner, and Rob Reiner. He has also been listed as one of the most influential people in Hollywood by Premiere Magazine and Entertainment Weekly. Through his successful representation of clients, Nicita has helped to reposition the overall structure of talent relationships in the entertainment industry. He also helped pioneer the strategy of actor-based properties and production companies.

The father of two sons, Jesse and Zachary, Nicita is married to Paula Wagner, the CEO of United Artists.

Morgan Creek Productions, founded in early 1988, is one of the leading independent production entities in the film business today. Morgan Creek has produced numerous highly successful and critically acclaimed features including the Young Guns and Major League franchises; the critically acclaimed Enemies, A Love Story; Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves starring Kevin Costner; and the hit comedies that established Jim Carrey as one of the leading comedians of our time, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and its smash sequel Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Morgan Creek recently released The Good Shepherd starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Robert De Niro; and Georgia Rule, starring Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan and Felicity Huffman.

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Source: Morgan Creek Productions

CONTACT: Greg Mielcarz of Morgan Creek Productions, +1-310-432-4851,
mobile, +1-213-675-6476, gmielcarz@morgancreek.com

Web site: http://www.morgancreek.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment