Production and entertainment company Merman has added Emmy-nominated director and writer Dime Davis to its roster for global representation spanning branded content and advertising collaborations. The relationship developed during Merman and Davis’ work together on an upcoming campaign for Old Spice and Wieden+Kennedy,
“Dynamic. Forward-thinking. With an incredible slate of work. These have been important tenants in my choosing a creative home. Merman is that home, and I’m beyond excited to be joining the family,” explained Davis. “As I continue to move between long and short forms, comedy and drama, I’m eager to be partnering with a team who is truly and authentically invested in my goals as a visual storyteller. I genuinely cannot wait to see what magic we make together.”
In addition to commercial content helmed by an award-winning roster of directors, Merman is focused on bringing writers and creators from its TV and film family into scripting entertainment for brands in collaboration with agency partners. Davis’ experience in both areas make her a natural fit for Merman.
“I’m thrilled Dime has chosen Merman as her home for branded work. I’m a big fan and can’t wait to get to work with her,” said Merman co-founder Sharon Horgan.
Kira Carstensen, Merman’s global managing partner, who worked closely with Davis on Old Spice, added, “It’s so amazing when you admire someone as a person as much as their work. Dime has a rare quality that is hard to find. She brings people in. She engages her team creatively at every level. We feel so lucky to be her chosen partners for branded and can’t wait to do more great work together.”
In addition to directing branded projects for Nissan and Disney, Davis recently served as writer and consulting producer for The First Lady on Showtime, starring Viola Davis, Gillian Anderson, and Michelle Pfieffer. Davis also directed and co-executive produced HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, where she directed the entirety of season 1 and received two Emmy nominations for her work.
Davis served as the pilot and finale director for season 1 of Lena Waithe’s Boomerang. Davis’ work was so integral to the series, she was made showrunner and executive producer for season 2, writing and directing half of the season’s episodes. Dime’s additional television credits include Amazon’s Modern Love, The Chi, and ABC’s acclaimed and Emmy-winning Abbott Elementary starring Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Merman’s advertising and branded division has offices in Los Angeles, New York and London, Its noted advertising work include campaigns for Guinness, British Airways, Facebook, Dove, and Captain Morgan, as well as branded content series and collaborations for Homegoods, IBM, and Xfinity. Merman Television has won multiple accolades including three BAFTAs and multiple Emmy and RTS nominations.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More