by Laura Frustaci

Although he began Harvard Law School with the intention of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a trial lawyer as well, in his first year John took the elective ‘Harvard Negotiations Project’, and everything changed. He fell in love with the class, doing mock negotiations under the supervision of ​​Roger Fisher, author of the bestselling novel Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. John then went on to become a teaching assistant for the course for his next two years of law school.

After graduation, John started down the BigLaw litigation route at Kirkland & Ellis in Los Angeles. Following that, John did a clerkship on the Federal District Court. “The judge had a bunch of entertainment litigation cases,” he says “One was involved in a movie called Anaconda– it was a copyright infringement case. As clerks, we would come up with an opinion and present it to the judge. And I thought, ‘This is really cool, the briefs for this case are like a comparative literary analysis between this screenplay and this movie.’ I could marry my love for film and television with legal argument.” It was a huge moment of realization for John, so after his clerkship, he pivoted and moved to a firm where he could do entertainment litigation.

However, it wasn’t exactly what he expected. “After three years of that, I started to realize the joke was on me because I wanted to be a trial lawyer, and in the entertainment context, there were key players doing deals over and over again, and when they get mad, they sue each other, but before it even goes to trial, they’re going to make a deal to settle. You could be planning for a three-week trial, and doing 18-hour days, and then it gets canceled. That was soul crushing. I either needed to get out of entertainment litigation and go to trial, or I had to double down and go over to the deal side because that’s what entertainment law is about.”

John decided to join 20th Century Fox, worked there for a year, and gleaned as much as he could. Then he joined his current firm, and has been there now for 22 years. “I was made equity partner two years ago and a named partner one year ago, and as of last year, my understanding is that our firm is the highest grossing entertainment boutique in the business. I love what I do, and a lot of what I do is informed by what I learned at the Harvard Negotiation Project all those years ago.”

In a groundbreaking achievement, John was the first person of color to be made a named partner at his firm. “The first thing I did after I became named partner was to hire an amazing Black woman to work for me. She’s from South Central LA like me--she wants to support creatives who advance marginalized stories, also like me,” John says. “We work really, really hard. If you’re really going to have the sleepless nights and time away from your family, and pour yourself into your clients, you have to believe there’s a greater good. Storytelling is the way that we translate culture. It has the power to change hearts and minds, and the most powerful means of storytelling is television.” In terms of diversity at his firm, John confirms, “I want our firm to look like America. We’re working on it. I’m working really hard on it.”

In his everyday practice, John explains what he feels has made him such a strong and effective lawyer for so many years: “I find that I approach things differently from my counterparts, with deep research and planning, and combine that with my trial experience, it’s a unique approach for my clients. One example of that is, I represent Kaley Cuoco. I’ve worked with her since before Big Bang Theory. When we got to the big negotiation, when we reached $1 million per episode, I dusted off these old boxes and pored through the  Friends re-negotiations. I created a chart adjusting the Friends payments for inflation and noting that Friends was a bigger ensemble.” During the negotiation, someone from Warner Brothers claimed John and Kaley were asking for even more than the Friends cast asked for. John turned around and said, “Actually, we’re not” and pulled up his research. And they got the deal.

Making life-changing deals for his clients is what he’s truly passionate about. “I’m a deal nerd. At my core, I’m a deal nerd and I fight for my clients, particularly when I feel like they’re being undervalued, underpaid, or mistreated in any way, particularly if that coincides with race, gender, sexual orientation bias, I go super hard… I love being a part of the change of someone’s life. It’s a beautiful thing to behold.” Being a lawyer holds a deep significance and purpose for John. “We’re advocates,” he explains. “We’re representatives. I take the word representative seriously. Re-presenting. I’m not going to make a negotiation about me or my ego, I’m going to make it about that client. If you’re looking for a shark, that person leaves blood in the water and everyone hates them. And then everyone hates you, and also hates the client vicariously. You do not want that. You want to have the best utility for the most people, in terms of your approach… honest, fair, and reasonable. Have facts and data. Forging good relationships means people will do you favors. That’s not unique to me, but it’s something I feel is very important.”

For anyone considering law school, John had some wisdom to share. “Don’t go to law school unless you want to be a lawyer,” John states. “Don’t go because you don’t know what to do with your life. You really have to want to practice the profession and take it seriously. It’s not the most glamorous thing in the world. If you want glamor, be an agent or manager or studio executive.” And what would he tell himself at the start of his career? “The advice that I would give to my younger self: The ‘lone wolf’ mentality is very limiting. There’s an old African proverb: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go in a group.’ Establish a cohort and allies. It’s really hard to do it by yourself.”

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Laura Frustaci ('21) is an NYC-based actor and writer. She recently completed a yearlong Harvard Postgraduate Traveling fellowship in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she wrote her first full-length play. While at Harvard, Laura studied English and performed with the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the HRDC, On Thin Ice, and the American Repertory Theater.

James Wan’s Atomic Monster is teaming up with Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios on the urban nature docuseries Concrete Jungle, produced by Terence Carter (AB ‘01), following the “grungy, hardened, and clever critters” in American jungles. (Dark Horizons)

It only took two episodes for HBO to know it didn’t want The Last of Us to go anywhere. The series, from co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann and Executive Produced by Carolyn Strauss (AB ‘85), has been renewed for a second season by HBO! (TV Insider)

Oscar winner Troy Kotsur is set to appear in Season 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm, produced by Jeff Schaffer (AB ‘91), at HBO in a guest starring role! Kotsur will appear as himself in one episode as a member of Larry David’s golf club. (Today)

Congratulations to Damien Chazelle (AB ‘07) and Justin Hurwitz (AB ‘08) on the now Oscar-nominated Babylon! The film was nominated for Costume Design, Original Score, and Production Design! (Oscars)

Screen Rant spoke with CEO and co-founder David Alpert (AB ‘97) and co-chairman Jon Goldman (AB ’87) about the new opportunity for fans to invest in the company. Alpert and Goldman explain what it means for fans to become shareholders in Skybound. (Screen Rant)

Lucy Hale & Raul Esparza were among the six cast in the FX Pilot The Answers, the network’s adaptation of Catherine Lacey’s novel, from Kit Steinkellner, Danny Strong and Darren Aronofsky (AB ‘91)! (Deadline)

Warner Bros. has acquired the Stephen King bestseller Billy Summers. Ed Zwick (AB ‘74) and Marshall Herskovitz are writing the screenplay. (Deadline)

A modern film reimagining of Benjamin Millepied’s Carmen, a modern film reimagining of the classic opera of the same name starring Paul Mescal and Melissa Barrera with a score by Nicholas Britell (AB ‘03), is set to receive theatrical release. (Playbill)

Variety says that “the strains and vagaries of postpartum depression… morph into literal horrors in Baby Ruby, a stylish and suitably stressful debut feature from Tony-nominated playwright Bess Wohl (AB '96) (Grand Horizons).” (Variety)

Variety headed down to the Hilton to preserve a pre-Grammy tradition by interviewing Clive Davis (LLB ‘56) before his Pre-Emmy Gala, better known as “the Clive Party,” “a fete like no other.”(Variety)

Lidya Jewett will star in The Exorcist, the first film in the rebooted trilogy, which Blumhouse, Morgan Creek, Universal and Peacock scooped up global rights to for $400M. Couper Samuelson (AB ‘02) executive produces. (Deadline)

Michael Mann’s Ferrari, starring Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz and Todd Haynes’ May December, starring Oscar winners Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman (AB ‘03), are among the new titles added to the Sky Cinema 2023 original films slate. (Variety)

All Quiet on the Western Front filmmaker Edward Berger has commenced principal photography in Rome, Italy on Vatican thriller Conclave, with cast Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow (AB ‘67), Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini and more. (Variety)

The Walking Dead and Supernatural alum Jeffery Dean Morgan has confirmed that he has joined the cast of Amazon’s animated series Invincible, executive produced by David Alpert (AB ‘97)! Specifics of his role are under wraps. (Dark Horizons)

Sony Pictures Television is putting the limited series Jackpot into early development, inspired by gambler-turned-FBI confidential source RJ Cipriani, who helped take down a multimillion-dollar drug ring. Nicholas Stoller (AB ‘98) executive produces! (Deadline)

Tony & Grammy winner Leslie Odom, Jr. will star in a new Broadway production of the classic American comedy Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch by Ossie Davis, with scenic design by Derek McLane (AB ‘80)! (Deadline)

Gerry Bryant (AB '76)'s album The Composers is now available for streaming and purchase! Watch this short interview with Gerry about the project! (Youtube)

The Portable Door starring Christoph Waltz and Sam Neill is set for an exclusive release on MGM+ in April! The Jim Henson Company's Lisa Henson (AB ‘82) and Chris Lytton are co-executive producing! (Deadline)

The first full trailer for Paramount+'s upcoming Grease prequel series Rise of the Pink Ladies has dropped, offering a first listen to some of the series' songs. The series is executive produced by Marty Bowen (AB ‘91)! (Playbill)

Congratulations to Bonnie Raitt (RAD ‘72) on winning Song of the Year for her song “Just Like That”! (Youtube)

The Good Place creator Mike Schur( AB ‘97) has reunited with the hit comedy’s star Ted Danson for The Mole Agent, a new serialized comedy, which has hit the premium/streaming marketplace, sparking heated bidding! (Deadline)

Netflix has released the official trailer for African Queens: Njinga. A four-part docuseries narrated and executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, the series will premiere on Feb. 15. The series is produced by Terence Carter (AB ‘01). (Movieweb)

Ben Stiller is setting an acting return with Three Identical Strangers, a multi-decade family drama inspired by the incredible true story of identical triplet brothers separated at birth. The project hails from Party of Five co-creator Amy Lippman (AB ‘85)! (Deadline)

Bashir Salahuddin (AB ‘98) and Diallo Riddle (AB ‘97) are among those featured on TV Insider’s list of 9 Black TV creatives to watch! (TV Insider)

Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star and executive produce Netflix’s limited series Eric, which follows Vincent Anderson, a puppet maker and puppeteer whose life unravels when his young son, Edgar, disappears. Carolyn Strauss (AB ‘85) also executive produces! (See)

Ken Marino, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, and D.C. Young Fly have boarded Prime Video’s holiday comedy Candy Cane Lane. Reginald Hudlin (AB ‘83) directs off a script by Kelly Younger, inspired by his own childhood holiday experiences. (Deadline)

R.J. Cutler (AB ‘83)’s Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA, about Jack Roland Murphy, an infamous jewel thief turned murderer, is the first of five docuseries that will stream on MGM+ in 2023. (Variety)

Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the drama Gringa, a film by EJ Foerster and Marny Eng. The script is penned by Patrick Hasburgh and stars Steve Zahn (ART ‘90)! Gravitas plans to release the film on April 21, 2023 in theaters and on demand. (Deadline)

Pamela Adlon, Dorothy Fortenberry (AB ‘02) and author Roxane Gay have been named as mentors for the 2023 NRDC Climate Storytelling Fellowship recipients! Read more about the competition below. (Deadline)

Paramount Pictures has closed a multi-year, first look deal with the film’s directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (JD ‘95) and their newly formed production company GoldDay under which they’ll write, direct and produce features! (Deadline)

“Just Like That” by Bonnie Raitt (RAD ‘72) has risen to the top of Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales after winning the Grammy Award for song of the year! It’s her second No. 1 hit on any Billboard list, and it marks the first time she has topped a sales chart. (Forbes)

Read a discussion with Erica Schmidt and Bess Wohl (AB ‘96) as the the writer/directors discuss their latest works, Lucy and Baby Ruby, which explore the fears and anxieties of being a parent, motherhood, and theater. (Variety)

Extrapolations is a bracing drama from writer, director and executive producer Scott Z. Burns that introduces a near future where the chaotic effects of climate change have become embedded into our everyday lives. Yara Shahidi (AB ‘22) stars! (Youtube)

Tina Fey & Tim Meadows are set to reprise their roles from Mean Girls in the upcoming movie musical based on the stage production, which features music by Fey’s husband Jeff Richmond and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (AB ‘93)! (Deadline)

Watch Good Morning America’s interview with Debra Martin Chase (JD ‘81) about her impact in Hollywood! She is the acclaimed producer behind such films as The Princess Diaries and Cinderella starring Whitney Houston. (Youtube)

Conrad Ricamora, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, and Jocko Sims are set as series regulars opposite Natasha Rothwell in How To Die Alone, an original comedy from Onyx Collective for Hulu. Additionally, Bashir Salahuddin (AB ‘98) will recur in the eight-episode series! (Deadline)

Ryan Reynolds is attached to produce and star in Boy Band, a new comedy for Paramount Pictures. Plot details are under wraps, but Reynolds penned the script with Jesse Andrews (AB ‘04) (Me & Earl & the Dying Girl) from his own original story! (Deadline)

Alan Gilbert (AB ‘89) agreed Friday (Feb. 17) to a five-year contract extension as chief conductor of the Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg, Germany, a deal that runs through the 2028-29 season. (Billboard)

Julia Riew (AB ‘22) is up next for Playbill's Songwriter Series! A winner of the Fred Ebb Award and the Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship, she performed songs from her distinctive catalog of musicals, which blend her Korean heritage and her painterly approach to melody. Natalie Choo (AB ‘22) performs! (Playbill)

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