Kaye, who lives and works in Los Angeles, is poised to sign a deal with RSA for
representation in the UK and Europe. He will continue to represent himself in the US through Tony Kaye Films.
Adrian Harrison, managing director at RSA, said: "I have always admired his work. He's one of the people who has done most to revolutionise TV advertising in this country and he's still a major talent." However, he stressed that a contract had not been signed. "We'll be making a formal announcement in the very near future," he said.
Kaye has not worked in the UK since June 2000. His last job was a chilling cinema commercial through D'Arcy for the Coalition to End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking.
He also directed the award-winning Freeserve advertisement for M&C Saatchi, which featured the model and Paralympian athlete Aimee Mullins.
Kaye enhanced his bad-boy reputation by embarking on guerrilla tactics against McCann-Erickson following a creative dispute on a Bacardi shoot in 1999. Kaye claimed at the time: "My efforts have been thwarted by insecure morons holding down jobs they shouldn't be holding." He has also refused to eat in restaurants or use phones. An actor was used as a "speaker".
Kaye caused a stir in Hollywood when he disowned his 1998 feature American History X, unsuccessfully applying for the director's credit of Humpty Dumpty.
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