Jeffrey Katzenberg’s Quibi Names CAA Agent Jim Toth as Head of Content Acquisitions and Talent
Top CAA talent agent and actor-whisperer Jim Toth has made a surprise leap to content creation and acquisition, joining Jeffrey Katzenberg’s mobile video startup Quibi.
Toth, known for his deep stable of talent and one of the most successful in his generation of agents, will assume the title of head of content acquisitions and talent and the company. Founded by longtime Hollywood mogul Katzenberg and run by CEO Meg Whitman, Quibi has been quietly building a slate with a $1 billion content purse.
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A Quibi spokesperson confirmed the hire. CAA had no immediate comment on the matter, and Toth was said to have only given notice on Tuesday. Toth enjoys a high profile thanks to clients like Matthew McConaughey (the actor credited the agent with rebuilding his career in his 2014 Best Actor Oscar speech for “Dallas Buyers Club”). Toth also worked on teams for Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jamie Foxx, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans.
Katzenberg, who most recently headed DreamWorks Animation, said he’s aiming to make Quibi — which stands for “quick bites” — ubiquitous in the coming years: “Five years from now, we want to come back on this stage and if we were successful, there will have been the era of movies, the era of television and the era of Quibi. What Google is to search, Quibi will be to short-form video.”
In addition to ordering original series from the likes of Jason Blum, Quibi has plans to expand into news and sports. Toth’s hire was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
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