CAA has signed Epic Magazine and its founders, journalists Joshua Davis and Joshuah Bearman, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned.
Even before the digital publication’s founding in 2013, Davis and Bearman’s work had attracted Hollywood interest. Bearman’s 2007 Wired story “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans From Tehran” was the basis for Ben Affleck’s best picture Oscar winner Argo. Meanwhile, Davis’ 2012 story “John McAfee Fled to Belize, But He Couldn’t Escape Himself,” also for Wired, was optioned by Conde Nast Entertainment, Zaftig Films, MadRiver Pictures and Epic Entertainment for a dark comedy feature titled King of the Jungle. The project was announced at Cannes in 2017 with star Johnny Depp and Crazy Stupid Love directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa attached.
Epic, which touts “extraordinary true stories,” has a first-look deal at 20th Century Fox, with more than 25 projects in development across various studios, financiers and networks. In June Apple ordered Little America, based on Epic’s anthology of the same name, to series, with Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon, Alan Yang and showrunner Lee Eisenberg serving as executive producers alongside Bearman and Davis. And Epic also is partnering with Fox 2000 and Scooter Braun’s SB Projects for an untitled feature set in the world of K-pop, announced in August.
The Epic team also includes Arthur Spector leading film and television along with relatively recent hire Elizabeth Bassin as vp film and television.
Epic continues to be represented by Anonymous Content and attorneys Linda Lichter at Lichter Grossman and Keith Fleer.
