Chris Rice will step down as co-CEO for the fifth season of CJ Enm at the end of the year.
Graham Taylor, who has been co-CEO with Rice since it was founded as Endeavor content in 2017, has worked together as Solo’s CEO.
Rice shared news of his decision on Friday to step down at the expiration of his current employment contract with staff for the fifth season. The news comes after winning the record-breaking win for Apple TV+ drama Severance, produced in Ben Stiller’s Red Hour film, earning the year’s milestone for leading the television industry with Emmy industry nominations.
“Fifteen years ago, after running my own production business, I began my journey with Graham in WME. We were a small band of producers, sales agents and distribution executives. We are trying to innovate in how film and television production, fundraising, and how it is funded and distributed from within talent agencies. Film and television mediums begin to blend creatively,” writes Rice.
“It was a journey that I could never imagine. It was a journey I would share with you today. At the end of the year, when my contract is renewed, I will choose to start a new chapter and leave it to Graham’s highly capable hand as the sole CEO. Season,” he wrote.
Rice will remain on the trajectory of the fifth season as a consultant for major projects and through first look deals he set up with the company. He expressed his gratitude to Taylor to their professional union for building a business for many years.
“My friendship and partnership with Graham is profound and certainly one of the most enjoyable relationships of my life. His passion, taste and drive for the best film and television is only surpassed by his love and generosity for the people he works for,” writes Rice.
The roots of the fifth season lie in the emerging film and television finance unit within WME, formed by Rice and Taylor over a decade ago. By 2017, the efforts of its internal agencies had evolved into an effort. WME’s parents’ efforts have forced WGA members to sell their majority profits on Endeavor content under pressure to limit talent institutions on conflicts of interest, under pressure created by the US 2019-2020 campaign to limit talent institutions with regard to conflicts of interest. Endeavor content was acquired by CJ ENM in South Korea for $775 million in late 2021. It was rebranded in 2023 as its fifth season.
In addition to “Retirement,” Rice’s tenure fifth season and Endeavor content series include BBC America’s “Killing Eve,” AMC Network’s “Night Manager,” Full’s “Normal People,” Life & Beth, “Perfect Stranger,” “The Chief of War War,” and “The Truth Bet.”
Before joining Endeavor content, Rice worked as a producer in London.
Here is Rice’s complete note to staff in the fifth season:
Dear colleagues and friends,
Fifteen years ago, after running my own production business, I began my journey with Graham in WME. We are a small band of producers, sales agents and distribution executives, looking to innovate how we can fund film and television production, fundraising, and talent agencies. We believed early on in a few things that seem obvious today. That storytelling could come from a more global set of voices. And the creative integration of film and television mediums.
It was a journey that I never imagined. Today, on the journey I share with you, when my contract is renewed at the end of this year, I choose to start a new chapter and leave it to the highly capable CEO of Graham. After stopping the continuous growth of the business for four years since I escaped from the effort, it’s time to move on to my next entrepreneurial season.
This was not possible without extraordinary support from the efforts of Ali Emmanuel, Mark Shapiro, and efforts from the efforts of Graham and myself. This led to the fifth season of the second season, followed by continued support for the effort and investments from two Asian content powerhouses, CJ ENM and Toho Studios. We are very grateful for the support of Miky, Hiro, Pious and Koji’s businesses.
There have been so many shows and films along the path I am deeply proud of, but our goal of supporting the stories of unique and unique authors over the last few months became the second-nominated season of Emmy history on television in 77 years, winning eight awards. This was an Emmy season involving all divisions and people in the company, with a total of 36 nominations for six series and films. It’s a moment of insanely proud for Graham and me, and I know everything about you.
The fifth season has framed the largest group of creatives, innovators, builders, boundary pushers, passionate storytellers, and enablers of great artists and talent. I feel great pride in all the bricks placed in this incredible company and I feel deeply happy to be able to walk this path with you and build a bond that I hope will last a lifetime.
My friendship and partnership with Graham is profound and certainly one of the most enjoyable relationships of my life. His passion, taste and drive for the best films and television is only rising by his love and generosity for the people he works with.
I will not go far. I remain an advisor to the company, working on several fifth season projects, while meeting my production roots again through a seeming contract with the studio.
I will be here to my current abilities until the end of this year and close the chapter with a deep gratitude. With Graham at the helm and the incredible Kassy Calabrese on his side, we can’t wait to see what’s going on in the fifth season. I’m sure they and you will grow your business from strength to strength.
Handshakes are available upon request, but in other ways, we look forward to years ahead of the collaboration.
With deep love and gratitude,
Chris
