Assistants vs. Agents

🐝 The Weekly Buzz

One of my favorite memeable nights, and a reminder of how little style I have, The Met Gala is next Monday. The theme is Superfine: Tailoring Black Style with co-chairs Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams leading the charge alongside Anna Wintour, who has been a co-chair every year since 1995. LeBron James will be serving as an honorary chair, as he now has some free time after the Lakers loss last night (sorry).

SAG-AFTRA Launches Influencer Committee Amid Further Push Into Creator Economy (The Hollywood Reporter)

The Cannes Film Festival announced the jury for their 78th edition. Judges will include Halle Berry, Jeremy Strong, Payal Kapadia, and more.

Luminate has unveiled a new format of music data: Interactive On-Demand Gaming. In 2024 according to Luminate, select tracks included in Fortnite Festival announcements showed an average lift of 8.7% in on-demand audio streaming the day after the announcement vs. to the day prior. Full info here in another big moment for the impact of gaming on culture.

NIL, or name, image, and likeness, endorsements for non-pro athletes are projected to reach $1.6 billion by the end of 2025. 

Sony Pictures is using Roblox to market the new film, ‘Karate Kid: Legends.’ Imagine trying to explain that sentence to your grandparents. More info here.

Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’ targets a $75 million opening weekend. The film needs to hit ~$280 million (that figure includes marketing costs) to break even.

Brad Pitt is set to star in new A24 film by the Director of ‘Conclave called ‘The Riders.’ Director David Berger is coming into this project fresh off an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay. Ridley Scott will also be producing the film with Michael Pruss. Full breakdown here.

SiriusXM continues to suffer, losing 303,000 subscribers in Q1 of 2025.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED! Check out this $50k offer for the Beatles to play 2 shows in 1965. $4-$6 tix sound pretty nice.

Paramount is being sued by the cousin of the writer of ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ The lawsuit was filed by Shaun Gray, who claims that he helped to write key scenes but was never credited or compensated.

In Billboard Chart related news…📈

Jack Black broke the record for shortest song ever to reach the Hot 100 with ‘Steve’s Lava Chicken’ from the Minecraft movie. The track debuted at 78, has a run time of 34 seconds, and was co-written by the Director of the film Jared Hess.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” has reached the top of the Hot 100 for a landmark 10th week. Only 4% of No. 1’s have ruled for double digit weeks, and “Luther” is the first one ever by a solo man and solo woman with no accompanying acts to accomplish it.

Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars “Die With A Smile” has now been in the No. 1 spot for the Global 200 charts for 18 weeks. This is just one week shy of tying the all time record of 19 weeks, which is held by Mariah Carey with “All I Want For Christmas Is You.”

📣 The Call Log: Sophia Russo, VP of Brand Management & Development for AGBO

Sophia Russo is the VP of Brand Management and Development at AGBO where she has led the brand and social media strategy for the Russo Brothers since joining the company in 2018. She has helped lead global marketing campaigns for AGBO’s slate including The Electric State, Citadel, The Gray Man and Cherry, in addition to collaborating with Marvel on campaigns for Infinity War and Endgame.

Sophia oversees AGBO’s emerging filmmaker initiatives, supporting the company’s mission to champion the next generation of storytellers. She co-organizes No Sleep ‘til Film Fest and the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF), which includes a national fellowship and the annual Renaissance Award celebration. She also helped launch the AGBO Storytellers Collective, supporting aspiring filmmakers with ongoing mentorship. Sophia produces the Russo Brothers’ video podcast Pizza Film School, demystifying the art of filmmaking through movie-driven conversations.

Our conversation is below:

AvA: What was your first job in Entertainment? What was that experience like?

Russo: My first job out of university was as an office PA for casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry (KVH Casting) in London. Fortunately, it was the perfect introduction to the industry. Kelly and her team were incredible mentors, and I learned so much about casting and the UK entertainment landscape. Up until that point, most of my experience had been in LA, so it was incredibly beneficial to see how things operate across the pond. They’ve cast incredible projects from Fleabag to Bridgerton — and, funnily enough, AGBO later collaborated with her team on Citadel. Working with Kelly was such a formative experience and I have the utmost respect for her as a boss and as a creative!

AvA: Looking back on your career so far, what’s one moment that you consider to be a milestone or turning point for you? What did you learn from that experience that you still carry with you today?

Russo: A huge turning point for me was co-organizing the inaugural No Sleep ‘til Film Fest for AGBO. It’s a global 48-hour filmmaking competition where participants have just one weekend to write, shoot, edit, and submit a short film based on a creative prompt released at the start of the event. Since launching in 2021, the fest has brought together over 2,000 filmmakers from more than 60 countries. Building No Sleep from the ground up has been incredibly rewarding. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is to give others a platform to tell their stories, and how creativity can truly thrive under constraints.

AvA: What are some of the biggest opportunities today in the film, TV and media worlds that didn't exist when you started your career?

Russo: I work in social and marketing, so I’m a bit biased in this answer – but the newfound accessibility of high-quality production tools has made it possible for more creatives, regardless of background or budget, to produce professional-level content without relying on traditional gatekeepers. Combine that with the rise of short-form and vertical storytelling on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and you have a perfect storm: a democratization of media where diverse stories and storytellers can be discovered, heard, and celebrated on a global scale.

AvA: What are 3 of the most important qualities you see in your peers who have risen through the ranks quickly in their professional roles?

Russo: First, they’re proactive. They don’t wait to take initiative or bring ideas to the table. Second, they’re resilient. This industry can be tough, and being able to bounce back from any setbacks is key. Third, they’re genuinely collaborative. The people who rise quickly tend to be those who lift others up along the way.

AvA: Any exciting things coming up in the AGBOVERSE you can talk about?

Russo: We’ve got lots of exciting things going on at AGBO!! We just wrapped production on The Bluff directed by Frank E. Flowers and starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Karl Urban for Amazon MGM. We just kicked off filming on The Whisper Man directed by James Ashcroft starring Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, and Michael Keaton for Netflix. Post-production is underway on Citadel Season 2 and is set to release on Prime Video next Spring. On the Marvel front, we’re producing Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), with the Russo Brothers directing.

If you're into film podcasts, Season 3 of the Russo Brothers’ video podcast Pizza Film School is now available on AGBO’s YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts. It’s a deep dive into their filmmaking process with their closest collaborators – from composers to first AD’s and camera operators. It’s a true peak behind the curtain!

We also just announced the five grant recipients for this year’s Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum, supporting emerging voices telling Italian American stories with $10,000 to create a short film. And this fall, we’re excited to bring back No Sleep ‘til Film Fest for its fifth annual run!

AvA: What is one piece of advice you have for someone just starting out in their careers?

Russo: Work hard and be nice to people. At the end of the day, the community you build and the way you treat others often speaks louder than your resumé. It’s the small things that can really leave a lasting impact – how you support your team, how you treat people at every level, and how you show up when things get hard. Say yes to things that challenge you, and surround yourself with people who inspire you to grow.

AvA: If money was no object, what would your job/career be (outside of the Entertainment Industry)?

Russo: People always joke that I should’ve been a travel agent or concierge in another life. I love to do deep research when I travel and keep LONG lists of all my favorite restaurants and activities in each city I visit. If you’ve got a trip planned, hit me up!

AvA: What are you binging on TV right now?

Russo: I’m a big true crime girl, so I’ve definitely fallen down a few Netflix docuseries rabbit holes lately. I also just started Paradise on Hulu, I’m only one episode in, but I’m hooked and curious to see where it goes…

AvA: Mentor shoutout?

Russo: Angela Russo-Otstot, our CCO at AGBO. Her creative instincts, leadership style, and support for new voices in storytelling have shaped so much of how I approach my own work. She leads with so much heart and determination!

AvA: Book or podcast recommendation?

Russo: I recently finished James by Percival Everett for my book club, and it’s really stuck with me. It’s a powerful reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man who travels with Huck. It reframes a classic through a bold and deeply human lens. I found it very moving and would highly recommend it.

👋 See you back here on Tuesday for a brand new selection of Entertainment jobs

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