The business of Hollywood is getting as predictable as its movies.
Less than a month after a merger with Endeavor, Jim Wiatt, CEO of formerly venerable but now neutered Tinseltown talent agency William Morris, will resign his position, two sources familiar with the matter told The Post.
These sources said Wiatt will have a broad and non-specific kind of “emeritus” role at the combined agency.
In many ways, the resignation is not surprising. Sources noted that the question was not whether but when Endeavor boss Ari Emanuel would officially grab power after the merger.
Sources said Wiatt, after consulting with his inner circle, decided to make the move voluntarily rather than go through a bloody coup.
“Jim was very well liked, but he’s of a different generation,” said one source. “Everyone saw this coming, it was obvious. Ari took over an unbelievable brand for nothing and crushed the internal competition in days.”
Representatives from the combined WME Entertainment declined to comment.
Emanuel, whose brother is White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, is kindly called aggressive and temperamental by sources — he’s the inspiration for Jeremy Piven’s wildly popular “Entourage” character Ari Gold.
Despite their history — Wiatt fired Emanuel when they worked together at talent agency International Creative Management — a deal to combine William Morris and Endeavor was signed on April 28. WME Entertainment was created to challenge Creative Artists Agency for Tinseltown agency supremacy.
Wiatt was brought to William Morris to modernize the staid firm, which is more than 100 years old.