The Town with Matthew Belloni

Matt is joined by Mike Rinder, former senior executive of the Church of Scientology. They discuss the moment he decided to leave Scientology, Tom Cruise’s current standing in the church, the impact of 'Top Gun: Maverick,' the internet’s damning influence on the future of Scientology, and more—all detailed in his new book 'A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology.' Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mike Rinder Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to discuss Angelina Jolie’s countersuit against Brad Pitt, which includes claims that Pitt was abusive to Angelina and their children during a 2016 plane ride. Matt and Eriq focus on the business and legal implications of the lawsuit—which centers on a French winery Pitt and Jolie bought when they were married—and what this could mean for their careers moving forward. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Eriq Gardner Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Julia Alexander from Parrot Analytics to break down who is winning the biggest TV matchup in years, HBO’s ‘The House of the Dragon’ vs. Amazon’s 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Matt and Julia dive into Nielsen's newly released ratings and determine which show is benefiting its host platform the most. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Alexander Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bill Simmons to discuss the current state of 'SNL' ahead of the Season 48 premiere this Saturday night. Lorne Michaels recently described this season as a “year of reinvention” for 'SNL,' and Matt and Bill preview how this year will look different, why the show has struggled creating stars lately, what it can learn from past seasons, and Lorne’s future with the show. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Bill Simmons Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hollywood has a reputation for being a fairly progressive industry, but when it comes to gender equality, there is still plenty of work to do. Matt is joined by CNBC's senior media & tech correspondent Julia Boorstin to talk about her new book, ‘When Women Lead,’ and discuss the lingering gender gap in Hollywood and lack of female CEOs in entertainment and media industries, why women are particularly adept to lead companies, and what has changed since the #MeToo movement. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Boorstin Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded before the ratings of the most recent ‘Thursday Night Football’ game on Amazon Prime between The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns were released. Matt is joined by Sports Business Journal's John Ourand to discuss Amazon’s impressive start as an exclusive NFL streamer for ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Amazon’s Week 2 debut between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers drew ratings similar to broadcast television, raising the eyebrows of viewers, advertisers, and television network executives alike. Is this the future? Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Ourand Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Town Hall! Matt and Craig answer listener questions on Disney’s handling of the 'Star Wars' franchise, the biggest movie set disasters, 'Top Gun' and Tom Cruise’s Oscar buzz, Paramount’s stellar summer and who is responsible, Hollywood’s biggest bets in 2023, the future of the live award show, Apple TV+’s ambitions, and more. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected]. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by David Herrin, founder of film research firm The Quorum, to discuss Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film, ‘Don’t Worry Darling,’ and whether the media frenzy and off-screen controversy will affect its performance at the box office. They also look back on past films wrapped up in controversy and determine whether publicity leads to success or failure. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE. Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected]. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: David Herrin Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how much money streaming services should spend on movies that skip a theatrical release and go directly to their streaming platform. They speculate over a streaming service’s return on investment for for a $200 million movie and question whether that business model is sustainable. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected]. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by The Ringer’s Bryan Curtis to discuss the recent conference realignment in college football—where television ratings reign supreme and storied traditions are rapidly disappearing—and whether this new normal is sustainable in a consolidating college football television universe. Sign up for Matt’s Hollywood newsletter at 20% off HERE Email us comments, questions, or ideas at [email protected]. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Bryan Curtis Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt and Craig recap the 2022 Emmy Awards as well as Matt’s experience from inside the event and the after-parties. They give out their own awards for the winner of the night, the biggest snub, and the best and worst moment of the night, discuss who has the brightest future after Monday night's results, and more. Host: Matt Belloni Producer: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the current standing of Bob Chapek after the latest D23 Expo, which featured several announcements including new movie trailers, released footage, theme park updates, and new projects on the horizon at Disney. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Forbes’ Scott Mendelson to judge their box office predictions for the most highly anticipated blockbusters of the summer. They discuss the surprise hits, flops, and everything in between, and provide takeaways for each franchise. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Scott Mendelson Produce: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Mark Bergen to discuss his newest book on YouTube’s path to domination over the past 20 years. They discuss whether Tiktok or any other digital platform can dethrone YouTube, the company's long and winding path to paying its creators, and its relationship with traditional Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mark Bergen Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Deadline senior reporter Justin Kroll for Part 2 of the Young Hollywood Stock Exchange, where they buy or sell on the biggest stars under 30 in Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Justin Kroll Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Deadline senior reporter Justin Kroll to decide whether they are buying or selling the movie-star potential of the biggest actors under 30 years old in Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Justin Kroll Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by John Fithian, the CEO and president of the National Association of Theater Owners, to discuss the current state of the theater business, its messy relationship with movie studios, and what the next year looks like for moviegoing. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Fithian Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss NBC considering eliminating their 10 p.m. programming slot and giving it back to the affiliates. Linear broadcast TV networks are in decline, but they still make a lot of money. However, most are owned by companies with streaming services that soak up all of the resources. So, what should happen to these broadcast networks? Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by CEO and co-founder of MoviePass Stacy Spikes to talk about the upcoming relaunch of MoviePass—the disruptive movie subscription service phenomenon that swept the nation in the late 2010s. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Stacy Spikes Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Julia Alexander from Parrot Analytics and Puck to discuss the vanishing of television shows on the HBO Max platform. They discuss Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s quest to save and make as much money as possible, what we can expect from HBO moving forward, and the expectation consumers hold for the content on their favorite streaming services. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Alexander Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In movies, the director is king. But in television, it's the showrunner. In the past 15 years we’ve seen the rise of the showrunner as perhaps the most important job in the industry. Today Matt and Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw participate in the very first showrunner draft. Each will draft five showrunners and a sleeper pick to dominate the industry over the next 15 years. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Felix Gillette to discuss his latest piece on the antics of Hollywood’s most interesting CEO, Adam Aron. Aron is the CEO of AMC Entertainment and has turned his company into a meme-stock, investing in a literal goldmine, and will seemingly do whatever it takes to keep his theater business standing in a post-pandemic world. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Felix Gillette Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Puck’s legal expert, Eriq Gardner, to discuss Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit against Fox news, which states that Fox aired false, far-fetched, and exaggerated claims about Dominion and its supposed role in helping steal votes from Donald Trump. Matt and Eriq discuss whether Fox is protected by claiming it only repeated false claims from the president, how much Dominion was harmed, and a new era in libel cases. Later, Matt gives a prediction after seeing the first two episodes of Amazon’s new show ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Eriq Garnder Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss ESPN’s value to Disney and whether Disney should explore shopping the worldwide leader in sports. Cord cutting and the shift to streaming threaten the financial value of ESPN for Disney—the subscriber base is going down and costs are going up. So should Disney sell ESPN? Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Jessica Reif Ehrlich, an analyst at B of A Securities, to break down the state of the streaming world after Disney's announcement that it will be raising the Disney+ subscription fee by 38 percent. They discuss whether streaming is becoming more like television, how viewers will tolerate an advertising tier, why Warner Bros. Discovery may be set up for success in the long term, Hulu as a potential secret weapon for Disney, what Microsoft could actually bring to Netflix, and more. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jessica Reif Ehrlich Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Taylor Lorenz from The Washington Post to talk all things creator economy, including how influencers make money, Triller’s attempt to rival TikTok, what Hollywood can learn from the creator economy, whether influencers can cross over into movie stardom, what the representation business should look for an influencer, and what the next 10 years of the creator ecosystem will look like. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Taylor Lorenz Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the demand-driven dynamic pricing system that recently set prices as high as $5,000 for Bruce Springsteen tickets. They get into the surge in concert ticket prices, the monopolistic control Live Nation has over the market, and how much responsibility the artist carries. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by longtime media executive Tom Rogers to discuss the state of the streaming world, the future of the cable television ecosystem, who will create the ultimate bundle, which companies are here for the long haul, and where live sports fits in the equation. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Tom Rogers Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter's Borys Kit to find an explanation for Warner Bros. Discovery's confounding decision to completely kill the release of the upcoming DC film ‘Batgirl’ and discuss the potential repercussions. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Borys Kit Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw and The Ringer’s Juliet Litman to discuss Will Smith’s latest apology, which came in the form of a five-minute Q&A on YouTube. They talk about the sincerity of the apology, the handling of the aftermath of the Slap, and Apple’s looming decision about whether to release or delay Will Smith’s newest film, ‘Emancipation,’ which is set to come out later this year. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw and Juliet Litman Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the second Town Hall! Matt and Craig field listener questions covering topics such as the likelihood of Steven Spielberg greenlighting legacy sequels, the future of the WWE after Vince McMahon, a potential WGA strike and the value of writers in Hollywood, how AMC A-List makes money, Apple TV+’s future, Ezra Miller and ‘The Flash’, Apple’s first animated film ‘Luck’, and more! Host: Matt Belloni Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw for the first “IP draft.” Intellectual property rules Hollywood, so Matt and Lucas draft their way through what they believe is the most highly coveted IP in entertainment. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by author Matthew Ball to discuss his new book on the Metaverse and how it will alter the future of the content and entertainment industry. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Matthew Ball Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Rolling Stone’s Tatiana Siegel to discuss her latest article, which outlines the bizarre story of online bots fueling the Zack Synder rerelease of ‘Justice League’ and the turmoil it caused within Warner Bros. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Tatiana Siegel Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the release of Netflix's $200 million action movie ‘The Gray Man’ this past weekend, Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix's movie strategy, the perception that it makes mock blockbusters, its marketing choices, and what it needs to do to be competitive. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by LightShed’s Rich Greenfield to discuss the misperceptions of Netflix, Apple, and Hulu in the streaming ecosystem. They discuss the Netflix password crackdown, Netflix choosing Microsoft as its partner for its advertising tier, Hulu’s future with Disney, and Apple’s chances of joining the streaming elites. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by television critic Inkoo Kang from the Washington Post to break down this year's Emmy nominations, including the most notable shows and actors left off the ballot, surprising nominees, biggest question marks, predictions for Emmy night, and what this says about the current state of the television industry. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Inkoo Kang Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by New Yorker writer Ken Auletta to discuss his new book, ‘Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence,’ a biography detailing Weinstein’s rise to dominance in the film industry, his web of collusion, and his scramble to protect himself. Ken details the long and difficult process of writing and covering this story over the past two decades. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Ken Auletta Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are many rumors about who celebrities really are when the cameras are off. Tabloids, manicured interviews, and public appearances often shape the perception of our favorite stars. But we don’t always know who they really are in real life. Is Matt Damon really that nice? What about Tom Hanks? Today, Matt and his former colleague at The Hollywood Reporter Lacey Rose draw from past interactions, connections, and word of mouth to put together their definitive list of the 10 nicest stars in Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lacey Rose Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the annual Sun Valley conference, dubbed a “summer camp for billionaires,” where chief executives and board chairmen gather for private conversations that often lead to major deals across the tech and media landscape. Matt and Lucas discuss their experience attending Sun Valley conference in the past and prognosticate over which conversations could and should take place. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by author and journalist James Andrew Miller to discuss the ramifications of CAA's acquisition of ICM, including the consolidation of top-level talent agencies, why ICM decided to sell, how this will affect the future of content, and more. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: James Andrew Miller Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by producer, founder, and chief executive of Blumhouse Productions, Jason Blum, to discuss the evolution of economics in the entertainment industry in the age of streaming. Later, Matt runs Jason through a lightning round of questions about various topics in Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jason Blum Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we near the halfway point of 2022, Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw host the first-ever Half-Year Hollywood Awards. They give out awards for the winner and loser of the past six months, Biggest Publicist Fail, Head-scratcher Deal, Most Annoying Trend, predict who will win the next six months, and more. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by theme park journalist and podcast host Carlye Wisel to talk about the Disney Parks ecosystem, what's new post-pandemic, how they are making all this money, and the future of this important part of the entertainment industry. Then, Matt gives a prediction about the upcoming movie ‘Elvis.’ Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Carlye Wisel Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how the pandemic has affected movies, live TV, streaming, and music. They break down the disappointing opening weekend for Pixar’s ‘Lightyear’ and how it may foretell the future of moviegoing, a dip in TV viewership across the country, the future of showrunner megadeals, and the music boom of the 2020s. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CNN is facing a major makeover at the hands of its new leaders David Zaslav and Chris Licht, but it could mean trouble for old correspondents. Matt brings on Puck writer and CNN expert Dylan Byers to break down Licht’s new strategy and its potential for success. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Dylan Byers Producer: Devon Manze Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Julia Alexander of Parrot Analytics to discuss the record-breaking opening week for ‘Stranger Things,' the series' competition with 'Obi-Wan Kenobi,' and the most valuable properties in streaming. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia Alexander Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Devon Manze Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by CNBC’s Alex Sherman to discuss the surprising firing of Disney entertainment executive Peter Rice. They discuss what Disney is saying about it, what does this say about the future of Disney, and much more. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Alex Sherman Producer: Craig Horlbeck Associate Producer: Isaiah Blakely Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by John Ourand from Sports Business Journal to discuss the unexpectedly low ratings after the first two games of the NBA Finals as well as the future of sports in streaming, including Disney’s commitment to ESPN, a potential buyer for the network, and more. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Ourand Host: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Keegan to discuss the indie hit ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ and why it resonated with audiences. Later, they talk about A24’s unique cachet in Hollywood, its innovation in marketing and brand awareness, and whether it will eventually be acquired. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rebecca Keegan Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices