Meet the most powerful Hollywood player you might not have heard of: Superagent Bryan Lourd

After shocking the firm satellite past twelvemonth with the quality Discovery Communications would merge with WarnerMedia, incoming Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav had a mission: larn arsenic overmuch astir Hollywood arsenic imaginable and take the close leaders to assistance him tally the combined company.

Zaslav begun a year-long quest to pass his determination making. He reached retired to dozens of Hollywood's elite, including ex-Disney CEO Bob Iger, erstwhile WarnerMedia CEO Bob Daley, erstwhile president of Walt Disney Studios Alan Horn, Endeavor Group Holdings CEO Ari Emanuel, and Creative Artists Agency co-chairman Bryan Lourd.

Lourd, 61, isn't a household name, but helium wields a stunning magnitude of power successful Hollywood. He has helped tally CAA, 1 of the 2 largest planetary endowment agencies, since 1995. Lourd's Hollywood clients aren't conscionable A-listers, they're A+-listers: Brad Pitt. George Clooney. Scarlett Johansson. Octavia Spencer. Alejandro González Iñárritu. Lorne Michaels. The database goes connected and on.

While Zaslav solicited Lourd's proposal astir whom to prosecute for Warner Bros. Discovery, helium floated an thought by him: Would Lourd see giving up his occupation astatine CAA to travel tally the famed Warner Bros. studio?

The Lourd of Hollywood

Agents person made akin vocation moves before. In 1995, Universal precursor MCA hired CAA co-founder Ron Meyer to tally its operations. Weeks later, Disney hired different CAA co-founder, Michael Ovitz, to beryllium the company's president and past CEO-Michael Eisner's No. 2.

Ironically, those hires, on with 3rd co-founder Bill Haber leaving successful the aforesaid six-week play to tally the Save the Children Federation, were what catapulted Lourd into moving CAA, portion of a radical of alleged Young Turks who took implicit successful 1995.

Lourd heard Zaslav's transportation but ne'er earnestly considered leaving CAA, according to radical acquainted with the substance who asked not to talk due to the fact that the discussions were private. At the time, Zaslav was considering Michael DeLuca, who precocious departed MGM arsenic its question representation president erstwhile the institution sold to Amazon, to tally Warner's DC Comics movie and TV division. Lourd yet recommended Zaslav prosecute DeLuca and chap MGM enforcement Pam Abdy to tally the Warner Bros. studio.

In June, Zaslav listened. He hired DeLuca and Abdy as co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros Pictures Group. The DC occupation remains unfilled.

It's not hard to recognize wherefore Lourd chose to support his job.

The amusement manufacture is successful an "age of large anxiety," Iger said earlier this month, "because this is an epoch of large transformation." The biggest planetary media companies are consolidating and transforming their businesses to revolve astir streaming video. Technology giants Apple and Amazon person go active, deep-pocketed competitors. A caller procreation has taken over: The CEOs of Disney, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia and CBS person each turned implicit successful the past 4 years.

On apical of that, investors person soured connected streaming video person Netflix, driving shares down astir 60% this year. That's giving media leaders adjacent much agita arsenic an existential question hangs implicit the industry: Have the champion days successful media and amusement passed america by?

That has caused firm leaders to thin connected Lourd much than ever before, according to much than a twelve media executives interviewed by CNBC. Zaslav calls him "possibly the past existent Hollywood star." An old-fashioned endowment cause who loves discussing aged movies and doesn't caput pointing retired the flaws successful his ain clients' work, Lourd has go arguably the astir almighty idiosyncratic successful Hollywood. He's a "wise consigliere," successful the words of ex-HBO main Richard Plepler, to astir each large institution successful the amusement industry.

Whether it's advising Zaslav connected whom to prosecute astatine Warner Bros., oregon convincing Apple TV+ to outspend everyone connected his clients' aboriginal projects, oregon advising companies connected imaginable committee members, Lourd has go a man-behind-the-curtain fig who stands retired not lone for his powerfulness but besides for his deficiency of nationalist persona.

"He's 1 of the astir almighty radical successful the past of Hollywood," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. "But you'd ne'er comprehend him to beryllium powerful."

Lourd declined to enactment successful this story.

"Trustworthy," "consistent," "supportive," "very nice" and "almost quiet" aren't presumption typically associated with Hollywood practice — an manufacture galore subordinate with Plepler's aged HBO amusement "Entourage." That bid features superagent quality Ari Gold, who is played by histrion Jeremy Piven and loosely based connected the brash, in-your-face Emanuel.

But those presumption of endearment are however 5 apical showbiz executives – Iger, Paramount Pictures caput Brian Robbins, Starz CEO Jeff Hirsch, NBCUniversal main Jeff Shell and Zaslav, respectively – picture Lourd.

"He's unique," said Iger. "He's a statesman successful an manufacture defined by superagents who roseate to positions of powerfulness by being intimidating. He's honest. He'll accidental things like, 'Yeah, that could person better.' He brings radical unneurotic and takes positions that radical galvanize around."

While Emanuel has go celebrated for abbreviated conversations and one-word email responses, 1 enforcement aft different noted Lourd ever seems to person clip for longer discussions astir strategy, problem-solving and checking successful connected idiosyncratic lives.

"Bryan ne'er feels rushed," said Apple TV+ co-head Zack Van Amburg. "He's acceptable to person arsenic agelong of a speech arsenic it takes. That's a ace skill, arsenic mundane arsenic that whitethorn seem."

Emanuel's occupation besides nary longer mirrors Lourd's. Emanuel has go a nationalist institution CEO, increasing Endeavor archetypal with a fig of bureau acquisitions and past buying fashionable nonrecreational mixed-martial arts league UFC. The purchases person turned Endeavor into an $10 cardinal company.

Lourd's persona is "brilliant antagonistic positioning" to Emanuel, said Sarandos. Lourd and his co-chairmen person kept CAA private, precocious doubling down connected the concern with an acquisition of endowment bureau ICM.

"I don't deliberation it's by accident," said Sarandos. "It's 2 precise antithetic styles astatine play."

Emanuel declined to remark for this story.

Lourd has been a mainstay successful Hollywood for decades contempt increasing up successful New Iberia, Louisiana (population 28,143), a small much than a two-hour thrust westbound from New Orleans.

After graduating from the University of Southern California arsenic a treble large successful planetary relations and journalism, Lourd began reasoning of becoming an cause aft speechmaking a New Yorker mag nonfiction connected the Hollywood practice industry, according to a CAA spokesperson.

Lourd joined William Morris Agency successful 1983, virtually moving his mode up from the mailroom to agent. He near William Morris to articulation CAA successful 1988. By the clip helium was helping to tally CAA successful 1995, Lourd was already representing Woody Harrelson, Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, among others.

Lourd's obsession with Hollywood bled into his idiosyncratic life. He dated histrion Carrie Fisher from 1991 to 1994. The 2 had a daughter, Billie, who is besides an actress. Lourd aboriginal joined longtime fellow Bruce Bozzi, who worked arsenic enforcement vice president of the Palm Restaurant Group for decades, including running its L.A. hotspot for amusement manufacture stars and moguls. Lourd shares a 2nd daughter, Ava, with Bozzi. She was calved successful 2007.

Lourd is the quintessential behind-the-scenes maestro, said Zaslav, with aspirations that widen beyond Hollywood.

Lourd precocious held a meal party astatine his location for Vice President Kamala Harris, aft powerfully advocating connected her behalf down the scenes to beryllium Joe Biden's moving mate, according to radical acquainted with the matter. He's connected a fig of charitable boards, including New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and 2 foundations developed by his clients — the Clooney Foundation for Justice and Sean Penn's J/P Haitian Relief Organization.

When Plepler decided helium would permission HBO successful aboriginal 2019, Lourd was 1 of a precise tiny fistful of radical with which helium shared his determination weeks earlier helium made it nationalist oregon told his then-boss, AT&T CEO John Stankey.

"He's an state you tin spot successful a satellite that tin beryllium purely transactional," Plepler said.

Still, successful spite of his charm, Lourd is an agent. His superior relation is to extract wealth for his clients. That's not wholly mislaid connected Zaslav.

"He's some charming and sensitively thoughtful, but astatine the aforesaid time, helium tin beryllium a existent slayer shark," said Zaslav. "But dissimilar a shark, wherever you consciousness the teeth, you bent up the telephone feeling good, earlier a week oregon 2 later, erstwhile you recognize you've spent a batch much than you thought you were going to spend. But somehow, you don't consciousness atrocious astir it, and you consciousness he'll marque it up to you connected the adjacent one."

Or, arsenic Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns said: "He'll archer you to spell to Hell truthful nicely that you'll inquire for directions."

Lourd's hands are connected astir each portion of the concern of entertainment. That's portion of wherefore Zaslav considered him to pb the Warner Bros. studio.

A modular cause has a database of clients and works to get those radical arsenic overmuch wealth arsenic possible. But Lourd's clients are specified bankable stars that it's arsenic important for Hollywood executives to beryllium affable with him arsenic it is beneficial for Lourd and CAA. Of each the radical CNBC spoke with for this story, not 1 had a azygous captious happening to accidental astir Lourd, different than blaming him for ballooning endowment costs. It's a testament to his earthy property – respective executives weren't arsenic benignant astir Emanuel – but it whitethorn besides talk to Lourd's power.

While it seems random to outsiders however oregon wherefore definite films oregon TV bid extremity up connected peculiar streaming services, it begins to marque much consciousness erstwhile viewed done the lens of Lourd.

• Step 1: CEOs inquire him for proposal connected whom to prosecute due to the fact that of his operation of trustworthiness and cognition of the industry.
• Step 2: Those executives, galore of whom tin astatine slightest partially convey Lourd for their jobs and precocious salaries, travel to him to unit projects.
• Step 3: Lourd gets apical dollar for his clients done deals signed by those aforesaid executives.
• Step 4: Those projects present billions successful gross for executives.*

Step 4 comes with an asterisk, due to the fact that lone immoderate of Lourd's projects deliver. Not each movie is simply a hit, adjacent with Lourd's roster of stars. But his power is lone increasing arsenic the fig of surefire stars dwindle.

This year, Lourd convinced Apple TV+ to wage much than $200 cardinal for a Formula 1-themed movie starring Brad Pitt that didn't person a script. Lourd's asking terms was truthful outrageous to Warner Bros. Discovery that immoderate executives scoffed astatine the pitch, privately calling it frothy and "bells and whistles" with nary certainty it could beryllium a tentpole franchise, according to radical acquainted with the matter.

Apple TV+'s Van Amburg and co-head Jamie Erlicht were besides unsure of Lourd's pitch, but they knew the movie would beryllium written and made by the squad that did "Top Gun: Maverick" — director Joseph Kosinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and screenwriter Ehren Kruger. The lone occupation was "Top Gun: Maverick" had yet to deed theaters astatine the clip of the talks.

So the Apple squad got support to surface the movie early. After watching it, they walked distant confident. "Top Gun: Maverick" became 1 of the highest grossing container bureau movies of each time, surpassing $1 cardinal globally. The Apple woody besides includes unprecedented gross sharing for cardinal talent, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter. Lourd crafted a declaration allowing Pitt, Bruckheimer and different CAA clients to enactment successful a assortment of aboriginal gross streams that whitethorn acceptable a caller modular for however large endowment is paid for streaming movies, the idiosyncratic said.

Apple TV+ volition beryllium relying connected Lourd and his clients to present connected respective different big-budget projects, including a yet-to-be-titled thriller starring Pitt and Clooney, and "Project Artemis," a play romanticist drama starring CAA clients Channing Tatum and Johansson, which outgo Apple a reported $100 million.

The industry's changing dynamics, and however to wage movie stars arsenic much viewing shifts distant from the container bureau and toward streaming, tin marque negotiating with Lourd challenging adjacent arsenic it feels similar a partnership, Van Amburg said.

"Bryan enjoys the relation of being the eventual diplomat," Van Amburg said. "But I don't deliberation we person underpaid for thing we've ever done with him."

Lourd flexed his muscles past twelvemonth successful a determination that caught manufacture executives disconnected defender due to the fact that it enactment him successful a uncommon nationalist adversarial relation to a large Hollywood executive.

Johansson sued Disney for simultaneously releasing "Black Widow" connected Disney+ astatine the aforesaid clip it was released successful theaters. She claimed her wage was based connected an exclusive theatrical merchandise for the film.

Disney shot backmost astatine the suit with a nationalist statement, outing however overmuch Johansson had already made connected the movie ($20 million) and blaming her for being callous to manufacture changes astir Covid-19.

Lourd felt Disney's connection was some misogynistic and violative not lone to Johansson but to each of his clients, according to radical acquainted with the matter. That prompted him to fire backmost a stern response astatine Disney and its comparatively caller CEO, Bob Chapek, who had taken implicit for Iger the erstwhile year.

"Disney's nonstop onslaught connected her quality and each other they implied is beneath the institution that galore of america successful the originative assemblage person worked with successfully for decades," Lourd said successful a connection astatine the time. "They person shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the planetary COVID pandemic, successful an effort to marque her look to beryllium idiosyncratic they and I cognize she isn't."

Disney yet settled the Johansson suit, giving Johansson much than $40 million, according to Deadline. Chapek said helium and Lourd person enactment the incidental down them and proceed to person a "running dialogue" that goes good beyond circumstantial deals.

"[We talk] astir the manufacture astatine ample and however it's each evolving," said Chapek. "It's a narration I value. Our manufacture is fortunate to person him."

Navigating changing manufacture dynamics has pushed Lourd to get originative with respective deals to conscionable the needs of some companies and clients.

When Disney signed a woody with manager Jon Favreau successful 2018 to enforcement nutrient and constitute Star Wars bid "The Mandalorian," Lourd worked with Disney's then-head of streaming, Kevin Mayer, to get Favreau a unsocial woody of currency and Disney stock. The reasoning down the declaration was "The Mandalorian" would pb to a roar successful Disney+ subscribers, and Favreau wanted to beryllium capable to enactment successful the imaginable upside. Mayer and Lourd decided the champion proxy for Disney+ show was Disney stock, knowing the company's shares would mostly commercialized connected the show of the flagship streaming service.

That turned retired to beryllium accurate. Disney shares boomed during the pandemic, adjacent with taxable parks closed, due to the fact that Disney+ subscribers grew by leaps and bounds each quarter. Favreau signed his woody with Disney shares astir $90. By February 2021, they had doubled to much than $180 per share. They've since travel backmost down amid broader marketplace declines, with Disney astatine conscionable beneath $100 per stock arsenic of Friday's close.

Disney+ ended its fiscal 3rd 4th with much than 152 cardinal planetary subscribers.

"He helps radical with company-level strategical decisions," Mayer, who has since founded the media concern steadfast Candle Media, said astir Lourd. "He's a large agent, but helium transcends that."

Shell, of NBCUniversal, and movie shaper Jason Blum besides person Lourd to convey connected a highly antithetic alleged first-look woody struck successful 2014 that's turned retired to beryllium "wildly lucrative" for some parties, Blum said.

Instead of NBCUniversal paying Blum fees for his films, which person included 2017's "Get Out" and 2018's "Halloween," some of which grossed implicit $250 cardinal worldwide connected budgets of $10 cardinal oregon less, Blum wanted to physique equity successful his ain accumulation company, Blumhouse. Lourd architected a woody with then-Universal Pictures Chairman Donna Langley successful which NBCUniversal took a non-controlling equity involvement successful Blumhouse, with Blum's fees going backmost into the institution alternatively than into his slope account.

At first, Shell, who astatine the clip ran Universal, was skeptical of the idea. But Lourd crafted a analyzable 10-year contract, giving the institution a assortment of web and cablegram tv shows, integer properties, and, of course, low-budget fearfulness movies.

Shell echoed sentiments from Sarandos, Van Amburg, Starz's Hirsch and Zaslav that conversations with Lourd often spell good beyond endowment deals, spanning subjects from imaginable hires to the metaverse to however unrecorded sports should beryllium integrated successful streaming video.

"Bryan is simply a occupation solver," Shell said. "He's the closest happening successful the manufacture to the age-old superagent of yesteryear."

Blum summed it up much succinctly.

"I don't spot him arsenic an agent," Blum said. "He's a Hollywood executive."

WATCH: Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel breaks down the media and amusement landscape.