Acclaimed filmmaker Ali Abbasi, whose most recent endeavor, the Oscar-nominated film "The Apprentice," has garnered significant acclaim, has severed ties with talent agency CAA, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. Deadline, which first broke the news, reported on an alleged incident of inappropriate touching involving Abbasi at CAA's Golden Globes gathering last month; however, the agency declined to comment on the matter. Similarly, Abbasi has also parted ways with Entertainment 360, while still maintaining a client relationship with Lark Management in the U.K., which did not promptly respond to a request for comment.
In a statement provided to Deadline, Abbasi cited a fresh trajectory in his career as the reason behind his decision to no longer collaborate with CAA and Entertainment 360. Abbasi directed "The Apprentice," which after a dazzling premiere at last year's Cannes Film Festival, hit theaters in October via Briarcliff Entertainment. Sebastian Stan received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump, while Jeremy Strong was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Roy Cohn. Both actors were also nominated at this year's Golden Globes for their performances.
The Iranian-born director is currently a contender for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Director. "The Apprentice" is also up for awards at this year's ceremony celebrating indie filmmaking, including Best Lead Performance for Stan and Best Editing.
Abbasi's past credits include "Holy Spider," which was Denmark's submission for the Best International Feature Oscar in 2022 (though it didn't make the final cut), and "Border," which won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes in 2018.
