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WME Hires Julie Haffner as Head of Motion Picture Commercial Affairs
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WME hired Julie Haffner as head of cinema commercial affairs. In the new role, she will oversee film client business and serve as a consultant to WME agents, executives and clients in structuring and negotiating film and talent deals, as well as advising on overall strategies for navigating the ever-changing media landscape.
Prior to WME, Haffner served as senior director of business and legal affairs at Netflix, where she negotiated high-profile deals for the original studio film group’s film slate and was responsible for projects including “Hillbilly Elegy,” “Yes Day,” ” “The Christmas Chronicles”, “Lift” and upcoming projects “The Union” and “Back in Action”.
She has also negotiated and managed overall deals for producers including 21 Laps (Shawn Levy), Hartbeat (Kevin Hart), Archewell (Harry and Meghan) and Wonderland (McG).
Haffner previously worked in the motion picture group at Paramount Pictures and was vice president of business affairs at The Weinstein Company. She began her in-house studio career at Warner Bros. Pictures and spent several years in private practice representing talent in their negotiations with studios.
In 2020, she was nominated for Variety’s Negotiator Impact Report. Haffner will continue to teach Entertainment Law classes at the USC Gould School of Law.
WME, named one of Fast Company’s most innovative companies, represents a variety of creatives in the entertainment industry. This year, they signed several high-profile clients, including comedian Kevin Hart and his global entertainment company Hartbeat, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” creator and star Rachel Bloom, singer Becky G and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.