Heroes and Villains Entertainment
Innovative literary management and content creation company specializing in film, television, video games, comics, and new media
Overview
Heroes and Villains Entertainment was founded in 2007 by Markus Georg, Dick Hillenbrand, and Mikhail Nayfeld, three entertainment professionals who recognized an opportunity to create a management company focused on the intersection of traditional and emerging media. The company's founding came at a time when the entertainment industry was beginning to embrace transmedia storytelling, video games as narrative platforms, and comic books as serious source material for film and television. From its inception, Heroes and Villains positioned itself as a forward-thinking literary management company that understood the value of intellectual property across multiple platforms. The company's early success came from representing writers and creators who worked across film, television, video games, comic books, and digital media. Heroes and Villains established its offices at 1041 N Formosa Ave in Los Angeles, positioning itself within the heart of the entertainment industry while maintaining a distinct identity focused on content creation and IP development.
Today, Heroes and Villains Entertainment operates as a specialized literary management and content creation company representing writers, directors, producers, and creators across film, television, video games, comic books, and new media platforms. The company has been named a Top 20 Literary Management Company, reflecting its standing in the industry and its success in representing talented writers and creators. Heroes and Villains' client roster includes notable creators like Dan Erickson, who created the critically acclaimed Apple TV+ series Severance, demonstrating the company's ability to represent writers developing groundbreaking television content. The company's market position is particularly strong in the literary and content creation space, where its expertise across multiple platforms gives clients unique opportunities to develop IP and work in diverse mediums. Heroes and Villains maintains relationships with studios, networks, streaming platforms, video game publishers, and comic book companies, providing clients with access to opportunities across the entertainment landscape.
How It Works
Heroes and Villains Entertainment evaluates potential clients based on writing ability, creative vision, understanding of narrative across multiple platforms, and career potential in the evolving entertainment landscape. Industry referrals from entertainment attorneys, producers, development executives, or existing clients are effective pathways to consideration. The company discovers talent through writing samples, spec scripts, produced content across various platforms, comic book publications, video game credits, and original intellectual property development. For television and film writers, having strong spec scripts, pilots, or produced credits demonstrates readiness for representation. For video game writers, having shipped games or strong interactive narrative samples is valuable. For comic book creators, published work or compelling proposals for original IP are important. Heroes and Villains looks for creators who think across platforms and understand how stories can be told through different mediums. The company values originality, strong narrative craft, and entrepreneurial thinking about IP development.
Heroes and Villains Entertainment provides comprehensive literary management services including career strategy for writers and creators, project development guidance, deal negotiation across multiple platforms, intellectual property strategy, and coordination with agents and attorneys. The company's managers maintain relationships with development executives at studios, networks, streaming platforms, video game publishers, and comic book companies throughout the industry. Heroes and Villains' expertise in transmedia content means managers understand how to develop a single piece of IP across multiple platforms, from comic book to video game to television series to film. The company assists clients in protecting and monetizing their intellectual property, ensuring writers maintain meaningful ownership and participation in the properties they create. Heroes and Villains coordinates with clients' theatrical agents when clients are also actors or directors, ensuring all representation is aligned. The company's specialized focus means it provides expertise that generalist management firms may not offer in areas like video game narrative, comic book publishing, and new media platforms.
Who Uses It
Heroes and Villains Entertainment represents writers, directors, producers, and creators working across a range of career stages and platforms. The company's writer clients include television writers on streaming and network series, screenwriters developing features, video game writers working on major titles, comic book writers publishing with major and independent publishers, and creators developing original IP across multiple platforms. The company's success story with Dan Erickson and Severance demonstrates its ability to represent writers creating culturally significant television that pushes creative boundaries. Heroes and Villains' clients have written for major video game franchises, created successful comic book series, sold television pilots to streaming platforms, and developed films for studios. The company's cross-platform approach means clients often work in multiple mediums, such as a writer who creates a comic book series while simultaneously developing it as a television show and video game.
Pricing & Plans
Heroes and Villains Entertainment operates on standard literary management commission structures, typically 10-15% of client earnings depending on services provided and the complexity of deals across multiple platforms. There are no upfront fees associated with representation. The company is transparent about its fee structure and business practices during the signing process. Commission is earned on deals the manager was involved in negotiating across film, television, video games, comic books, and other platforms. Heroes and Villains works collaboratively with agents and attorneys, understanding the importance of comprehensive representation for writers and creators. For writers and creators at the appropriate career stage with professional credits or compelling original IP, Heroes and Villains offers significant value through its specialized expertise in transmedia content, IP development, and careers spanning multiple platforms. The company's track record, including representing the creator of Severance, demonstrates its effectiveness at building meaningful careers for talented writers and creators.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Heroes and Villains Entertainment excels at providing specialized expertise in transmedia storytelling, intellectual property development, and careers spanning film, television, video games, comics, and new media. The company's understanding of how content moves across platforms gives clients strategic advantages in developing and monetizing their IP. Heroes and Villains' relationships across diverse entertainment sectors provide opportunities that traditional literary management focused only on film and television cannot offer. The company's focus on IP ownership and creator rights ensures writers maintain meaningful participation in the properties they create. Heroes and Villains' success with high-profile clients like the creator of Severance demonstrates its ability to guide writers to significant career achievements. The company's boutique structure ensures personalized attention for each creator.
What Could Be Better
Heroes and Villains Entertainment's primary limitation is its specialized focus on literary management and content creation, which means it does not provide the full-service career management for actors that some larger management companies offer. The company's boutique size means fewer resources for certain types of deals compared to mega-management firms. For writers seeking management primarily focused on traditional film and television without interest in transmedia or IP development, larger literary management firms may have more volume of traditional opportunities. The company's selective approach means many talented writers will not be offered representation. Heroes and Villains' strength in newer platforms like video games and digital media may be less relevant for writers focused exclusively on traditional film and television.
Our Recommendation
Heroes and Villains Entertainment is ideal for writers, directors, and creators who work across multiple platforms or have interest in developing IP that can span film, television, video games, comic books, and new media. The company is particularly well-suited for writers with entrepreneurial mindsets who want to create and own intellectual property rather than simply working on assignment. Creators who value specialized expertise in transmedia content and IP strategy will find Heroes and Villains' approach highly effective. The company works well for writers transitioning between platforms, such as comic book writers moving into television or video game writers developing film projects. Heroes and Villains is less appropriate for actors seeking full-service career management, as the company focuses on literary representation. If you are a writer focused exclusively on traditional film and television without interest in other platforms, larger literary management firms may provide more volume of traditional opportunities. Writers at the very beginning of their careers without professional credits, published work, or developed IP should continue building their foundation before approaching the company.
Pro Tips
To get noticed by Heroes and Villains Entertainment, create strong writing samples, spec scripts, or original intellectual property that demonstrates your narrative abilities and unique voice. For television writers, develop compelling pilot scripts that showcase your storytelling. For comic book creators, publish work through independent channels or develop polished proposals for original series. For video game writers, work on indie games or create interactive narrative samples. Develop intellectual property that has potential across multiple platforms, demonstrating your understanding of transmedia storytelling. A referral from an entertainment attorney, development executive, producer, or industry professional connected to Heroes and Villains is the most effective pathway to consideration. Demonstrate professionalism, creative vision, and strategic thinking about your career and your IP. Present polished materials that represent your best work across whatever platforms you've worked in. Heroes and Villains can serve as a valuable long-term management partner for writers and creators, providing specialized expertise, IP strategy, and access to opportunities across the entertainment landscape. The ideal time to approach is when you have professional credits, published work, or developed intellectual property that demonstrates your abilities and career potential in the evolving entertainment industry.