Black Hollywood agent Charles King
He has brokered deals for the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry and Janelle Monae, and now Black Hollywood agent Charles King is launching his own media company catering to multicultural audiences.
The first African-American partner at William Morris Endeavor (WME), King departed his longtime employer and, with an unspecified “eight figures” in funding, launched the Los Angeles-based MACRO. The company initially will focus on developing and distributing feature films, TV series and digital content targeting African-American, Latino and multicultural markets, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Charles’ terrific relationships and entrepreneurial approach make him perfectly suited for his new venture,” said WME co-CEO Patrick Whitesell. Added co-CEO Ari Emanuel, “We have had an incredible run together and look forward to working with him in his next chapter.”
King said he was motivated by a void he saw in entertainment.
“There were two major catalysts that propelled me to move to LA and enter the industry over 15 years ago: my vision to build a media company one day and the knowledge that what I saw on screen did not fully reflect the spectrum of who we are,” King told the Voice. “There’s a huge void and a huge opportunity.”
The former agent said MACRO will also address the lack of capital available for minority-focused filmmakers, by leveraging crowdfunding platforms and co-financing to target films that range from “artistically inclined independents” in the $1 million to $3 million budget range up to $20 million projects.
Already onboard at MACRO are filmmakers Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station”) and Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”). Both men were represented by King at WME, and said he was excellent at circumventing the usual obstacles involved in selling films with largely non-White casts.
“Charles has never been afraid of obstacles,” said Brewer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “He puts in the work. I think that’s what’s going to be exciting about MACRO. He has a vision, but he also knows how to execute it.”