The Town with Matthew Belloni

Matt is joined by The Black List founder Franklin Leonard to dig into the state of screenwriting in Hollywood and how the landscape has changed over the past five years and since the strike. They discuss the decline in research and development on the studio level, how this has affected aspiring writers, if there is room for optimism, and if it's still possible to break through (2:25). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the movie ‘Transformers One’ (26:03). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Franklin Leonard Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap last night’s Emmys and nominate the under-discussed winners and losers from TV’s biggest night (02:21). Later, ‘Hacks’ creators Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs call in to talk about their big win for Outstanding Comedy Series, how they pitched the show to HBO, and the state of the comedy genre (15:58). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw, Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Paul W. Downs Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

LIVE SHOW: LOS ANGELES, OCTOBER 24. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by producer David Beaubaire to discuss the troubled state of movie development at the studio level and address why this is a major problem for the movie business. He outlines how the development process has dramatically changed over the years and why this crisis needs to be solved (03:43). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming Emmy Awards (29:28). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: David Beaubaire Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Seth Meyers to discuss the evolving state of late-night television, making content that will work on digital, and the growing trend of the online celebrity interview show. Seth also gives his thoughts on the upcoming 50th anniversary extravaganza for 'SNL,' who should take over 'SNL' after Lorne Michaels, and Jason Reitman’s new movie, ‘Saturday Night’ (02:12). Matt finishes the show with a recap of his time at TIFF and predicts which films are in the running for the coveted People’s Choice Award (28:36). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Seth Meyers Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to pose their five biggest questions about the entertainment industry for the remainder of 2024. They discuss Disney and Bob Iger’s succession plan, whether the election will fundamentally change Hollywood, whether we could lose a streaming service in the next four months, and how this award season stacks up to those from past years (02:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s fall festival season! Matt is joined by Peter Kujawski, the chairman of Focus Features, to discuss the science of premiering a movie at a film festival. Peter provides his expertise on why you bring a certain movie to a certain festival, the risk involved, and which specific festivals are best suited for certain types of films. They also discuss the politics of these festivals jockeying to attain the world premieres of splashy titles, and which festival award is the most coveted (02:51). Matt ends the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ (26:10). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Peter Kujawski Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez 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 contentious TV carriage dispute between Disney and DirecTV, leaving millions of customers unable to watch the U.S. Open, college football, and potentially 'Monday Night Football' starting next week. They unpack the details of this battle, debate who has more leverage, and predict who will win (03:20). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of the Donald Trump origin story movie, ‘The Apprentice’ (25:31). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by media analyst Steven Cahall to talk about Warner Bros. Discovery, which continues to struggle despite its slew of amazing assets, and why a change in leadership or strategy has not been demanded by activist investors. They discuss WBD’s reliance on linear television, how it lost its NBA rights, and what it should be doing to turn things around (03:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the Golden Globes after it was announced that comedian Nikki Glaser will host the event (27:12). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Steven Cahall Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt welcomes back Puck’s Scott Mendelson to judge their early May box office predictions for this summer's most anticipated blockbusters, including ‘The Fall Guy,’ ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Twisters,’ and ‘Deadpool & Wolverine.’ They also declare the official winners and losers of the summer and look ahead to the most anticipated movie of the fall, ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’ (02:19). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Scott Mendelson Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Puck’s William D. Cohan to discuss the never-ending battle for control of Paramount, which has been further complicated by an 11th-hour offer for Paramount from billionaire Edgar Bronfman Jr. Matt and Bill explain who Bronfman is, simplify the complicated details of his pitch, and decide whether Bronfman's or David Ellison’s deal is better (03:33). Matt finishes the show by breaking some news about the return of the hit Apple TV+ show ‘Ted Lasso’ and making a prediction about its lead character in Season 4 (23:49). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: William D. Cohan Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Lesley Goldberg, former TV editor of The Hollywood Reporter, to look at the most costly showrunner deals of the peak TV era and determine which were the best and worst deals for the respective studios. They discuss the nine-figure deals that led to zero new shows, and the biggest underperformers of Hollywood’s hyperinflated peak TV era (02:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lesley Goldberg Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Joe Chianese, SVP of Incentives at Entertainment Partners, to talk about where movies are being shot these days, how tax incentives play a role, what a city or country offers to a production, and why California is no longer the filming mecca it once was (02:36). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Travis Kelce’s potential movie career (27:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Joe Chianese Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by CNBC media and sports reporter Alex Sherman to talk about the delayed launch of Venu, the planned sports streaming venture by ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery, after a federal judge granted FuboTV's motion for a preliminary injunction. They discuss why this happened, whether this is bad for consumers, and offer up their winners and losers of this ruling (03:26). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the ratings of the Democratic National Convention (26:43). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Alex Sherman Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by podcaster and journalist Brian Raftery to talk about the 10-year anniversary of the infamous Sony hack, how it changed the perception of Hollywood, how it affected the way villains are portrayed in movies, if North Korea was really to blame, and if this could this happen again (03:08). Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for ‘Alien: Romulus’ (27:31). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Brian Raftery Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Puck senior political correspondent Tara Palmeri to discuss Hollywood’s place in the 2024 election now that Kamala Harris is the Democratic nominee. They talk about Kamala’s close Hollywood ties, including her close friendship with Disney’s head of TV, Dana Walden; the upcoming debate on ABC; and the current state of the Hollywood fundraising apparatus (02:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Tara Palmeri Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Apple’s puzzling film strategy after the company's latest announcement that ‘Wolfs,' an action comedy starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, will no longer get a wide theatrical release. Matt and Lucas wonder how interested Apple is in putting movies in theaters, how new pressure to cut spending is affecting its film strategy, and how much creators like working with the tech giant (02:57). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Peacock’s subscriber growth after the Olympics (26:15). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield to discuss the newest and most dire stage of the linear TV meltdown, with multi-billion-dollar write-offs at Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount. They get into why these companies are only now acknowledging their TV assets are such a problem, debate whether or not anyone should be paying billions of dollars for NBA rights in 2025, and whether David Zaslav is on the hot seat (03:10). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Apple Studios (27:17). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by NYT staff reporter Brooks Barnes to discuss the latest Disney earnings report, which resulted in a drop in stock price after Disney reported a slowdown in Disney parks attendance. They talk about the state of the parks, including customer dissatisfaction with price hikes, Universal parks vs. Disney parks, and the upcoming D23 conference. They also discuss Disney's ability to reach profitability in streaming, incoming price hikes for Disney+ and Hulu, whether a looming recession could affect the next few quarters, and Bob Iger's perception among Disney fans (02:57). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on this weekend’s box office for ‘Borderlands' and 'It Ends with Us’ (26:04). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Brooks Barnes Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss whether it's time to panic for the music industry after shares of Universal Music Group tanked due to a deceleration in streaming subscription revenue growth. Matt and Lucas wonder whether this is a crisis or just a blip and offer up ways music streamers should differentiate themselves to make more money and get back on the path of accelerated growth (03:10). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the ratings for the 2024 Olympics (24:32). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw for the second ever IP Draft! They first revisit their last IP Draft, then draft a whole new team of intellectual properties that they believe will be the future stalwarts in Hollywood. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Disney’s chief brand officer and president of marketing, Asad Ayaz, to talk about releasing Disney’s first R-rated Marvel film in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ how that changes the calculus for Disney from a marketing side, and how the third installment of 'Deadpool' made more money than its two predecessors. They also discuss broader topics, including how early you should start marketing a film, deciding what spoilers to leak in the lead-up to a movie, how to approach the MCU’s recent struggles as a film franchise from a marketing standpoint, and much more (02:49). Matt finishes the show with an opening box office prediction for M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ (28:02). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Asad Ayaz Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit against the NBA after the NBA rejected WBD’s matching offer for a package of broadcasting rights. They look at the argument for both sides, and determine who has the best case. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Mark Lazarus, NBCUniversal Media Group chairman, to discuss the business behind broadcasting the Olympics, how these Games will feel different than the 2020 Olympics, what they learned from streaming an NFL playoff game on Peacock, Al Michaels’s AI broadcasting debut, and NBA rights (2:56). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (28:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mark Lazarus Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s strong second-quarter earnings, and how the company’s strong numbers might weaken in the next few years partially because of their underwhelming advertising revenue. They then ask a larger question: Is the race for streaming now down to two finalists—Netflix and YouTube (2:43)? Matt finishes the show with a prediction for which city will win hosting duties of the 2027 Sundance Film Festival (25:30). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Jessica Reif Ehrlich, a senior media and entertainment analyst at BofA Securities, to discuss the floundering Warner Bros. Discovery and propose several drastic changes she believes are necessary to save the company (02:35). Then, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons joins the show with a new angle on the looming NBA rights deal involving Amazon and Warner Bros. Discovery (22:14). Finally, Matt makes an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Twisters’ (32:15). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guests: Jessica Reif Ehrlich and Bill Simmons Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Luminate’s director of business development, Jimmy Doyle, to discuss the state of the 'Star Wars' franchise, its lack of theatrical movies, and what the troubling TV ratings signal for the brand. They talk about the 'Star Wars' properties that are working, the upcoming Mandalorian movie, and whether Disney should ultimately license its content to Netflix (02:43). In light of the recent Emmy nominations, Matt finishes the show with his prediction for Best Drama Series, Best Comedy Series, and Best Limited Series (23:13). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jimmy Doyle Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s latest comments from the Sun Valley conference, during which he advocated for less regulation in Hollywood. They unpack his statement and speculate how the election results might affect the regulatory environment for media companies, which companies would benefit the most from M&A possibilities, and why a company like Netflix might not mind consolidation (03:07). We finish the show with a mid-year check-in of the 2024 Box Office Draft (23:16). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by director Jon M. Chu to discuss how he made it in Hollywood, his career-altering move to pass on Netflix and bet on movie theaters with ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ balancing art and commerce, making films with AI, his upcoming film ‘Wicked,' and much more from his new book, ‘Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen’ (02:34). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum film, ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ (25:24). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jon. M Chu Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look at what the future holds for Paramount now that David Ellison has purchased the legacy media company from Shari Redstone. They discuss what will happen to Paramount's assets, including CBS, Pluto, Paramount+, as well as their movie strategy, and ultimately if a new, young, tech-focused CEO can not only keep Paramount alive, but help it flourish (02:22). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming criminal trial of Alec Baldwin in the ‘Rust’ case (25:57). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Skydance CEO David Ellison and RedBird Capital's Gerry Cardinale to discuss Ellison’s acquisition of Shari Redstone’s family company and the merger of Paramount Global with Skydance Media. David and Gerry outline what the future holds for Paramount as a media company, including what they intend to do with Paramount+, their thoughts on the theatrical business, and how tech will help shape the future of storytelling (03:11). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the 2024 Summer Olympics (32:40). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guests: David Ellison and Gerry Cardinale Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Puck’s John Ourand to break down the multibillion-dollar NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’ lawsuit when a jury in the U.S. District Court ordered the NFL to pay more than $4.7 billion in damages after the league violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service, DIRECTV. John explains how this bill could actually balloon to nearly $15 billion under antitrust law, how this will impact Sunday Ticket’s new distributor, YouTube, and whether this could impact the greater sports media rights landscape (03:30). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Despicable Me 4’ (24:26). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Ourand Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look back on the first half of 2024 and highlight the stories they believe were most over- and undercovered, including the horror movie genre, new Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery bundle Venu, the ScarJo OpenAI fight, Pat McAfee and Norby Williamson, UMG vs. TikTok, and more. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by journalist, podcast host, and cofounder of Semafor, Ben Smith, to discuss how last night's dispiriting debate will affect CNN and the TV news landscape as we move towards the 2024 election. Will the debate revive CNN and give it the story it's been looking for? They also take a look at the broader state of TV news as we exit the cable news era and wonder how many of these waning news networks can survive in the streaming era (03:12). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ (26:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Ben Smith Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by longtime producer Mark Gill to break down the finances of Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1.’ He explains how indie films of this scope and scale are financed, how much the movie needs to make for everyone to survive, and who has the most to lose. They also discuss another ambitious self-financed project, Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ (02:35). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 1’ (25:50). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mark Gill Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss if Hollywood is struggling as much as the media says it is. They run through a slew of issues, including traditional Hollywood’s battle with YouTube and TikTok, whether young people should abandon careers in TV and film and instead focus on social media, why Hollywood guilds and studios aren't going after AI together while major music labels are suing AI companies, the efficacy of the strikes, and the current state of Disney (02:40). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Stephen A. Smith’s future employment (24:54). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at the NYU Stern School of Business, author, and podcast host, to look back on the fallout and consequences of the writers strike and discuss how the studios and guilds should be handling the AI infiltration in the entertainment industry. They also discuss the state of the theatrical business, Hollywood’s aging executives, and how the government is handling big tech (01:51). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the upcoming film ‘The Bikeriders’ (30:25). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Scott Galloway Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Sony Pictures' acquisition of the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater chain, what this move says about Sony’s interest in theatrical moviegoing, whether this experiment was ultimately a smart move, and whether any other studios or streamers should be in the theater-buying business (02:54). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of casting animated movies (24:33). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is back with the second half of his conversation with Jon Stewart to discuss how Hollywood should handle the AI issue, how Viacom let John Oliver go to HBO, whom Stewart consulted before agreeing to come back to the show, whether Stewart might stay beyond his planned exit from ‘The Daily Show’ in November, and the media he is consuming these days (01:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jon Stewart Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Jon Stewart to discuss his return to ‘The Daily Show,’ why he and Apple were not a great fit, and how the media, political, and comedy landscape has changed in the nine years since he left ‘The Daily Show’ (02:38). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the newest Pixar film, ‘Inside Out 2’ (26:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jon Stewart Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt and Lightshed media analyst Rich Greenfield react to Shari Redstone calling off the Paramount-Skydance deal at the eleventh hour after a sale seemed imminent. They discuss why Shari killed the deal, how one man is potentially responsible for convincing Shari to back out, what’s next for Paramount Global, and much more (03:08). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the newest Pixar film, ‘Inside Out 2’ (30:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Will Smith’s return to box office stardom after the success of ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die’ and if this marks the official return for Will Smith as one of Hollywood's most dependable theatrical movie stars. They then discuss which movie stars can reliably open an original movie in theaters, and whether directors are more bankable than actors (03:01). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the NBA Finals ratings (25:18). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Joshua Lynn, the president of Piedmont Media Research, to discuss the research studios use to determine what people want out of their movies and how to give it to him. Before the movie is green-lit, studios use research to know if people want a new tornado movie, or a biopic about Robert Oppenheimer, or how Denzel Washington will elevate a project's box office potential (02:43). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Netflix’s stock price (25:32). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Joshua Lynn Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by ad industry insider Michael Kassan to discuss the newest frontier in streaming: advertising! Michael and Matt take a look specifically at Netflix and give their report card on the streamer's initial push into the ad space. They also look more broadly at the streaming ad ecosystem and wonder whether the influx of live events as well as the Great Rebundling of services will help kick-start the ad market (03:04). Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for the fourth installment in the 'Bad Boys' franchise, 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' (26:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Michael Kassan Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez 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 summer concert tour draft (02:34). They each draft four musical acts that will be touring this summer, which will be judged based on the gross totals for the tours. Similar to the box office draft, Matt and Lucas will each give the other an opposing tour as well. To finish off the show, Matt welcomes back producer Craig from his trip and makes a prediction on which bid will win over Shari Redstone for Paramount (23:50). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Isabella Simonetti to discuss an article she wrote that focuses on the older ages of television viewers and how it has affected advertisers (03:35). They go through how the pitches to ad buyers have shifted, the age gap between people who consume traditional linear TV and streaming, whether age demographics are still used, the growing acceptance of older casts on TV, and whether linear TV is beginning to age out. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the distribution of 'The Apprentice,' which highlights Donald Trump’s rise during his business career (19:50). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Isabella Simonetti Producer: Jessie Lopez 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 terrible Memorial Day box office weekend (02:36). They discuss the potential fallout from the disastrous weekend and the repercussions of May’s disappointing box office results, as well as debate whether studios will look to release fewer movies. Then, Matt finishes off the show with a prediction about Warner Bros. Discovery's NBA broadcasting rights (25:24). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to discuss the U.S. government's monopoly lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation (02:58). They briefly go through the history of the Ticketmaster–Live Nation merger, what lead to the eventual lawsuit, why concert prices won’t go down even if the two companies split, whether this lawsuit is just a PR attack against Ticketmaster, what impact this could have on the secondary markets, what a broken up Ticketmaster–Live Nation would look like, and more. Matt finishes the show with a prediction for this weekend’s holiday box office (27:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Eriq Gardner Producer: Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Greenberg Glusker partner and entertainment litigator Aaron Moss to discuss the situation between Scarlett Johansson and OpenAI (03:38). They discuss what rights were possibly implicated, talk about the different routes she can take if she decides to file a lawsuit, and compare previous similar cases to determine if she could win. Matt finishes the show by making a prediction on the future of the CW Network (26:01). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Aaron Moss Producer: Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Netflix, Apple, and other streaming platforms are looking to change how they pay actors (03:25). After years of paying big up-front checks with no back end, streamers are looking to balance out their ballooning budgets by better aligning pay with performance. They debate why this change is happening now, how advertisements on these platforms could bring about more transparency, and whether this new model could actually work. Matt finishes the show with predictions on Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: An American Saga’ and Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ (24:36). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producer: Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by media analyst Rich Greenfield to give out their biggest takeaways from the TV up-fronts, including Netlifx’s three-year deal with the NFL, YouTube’s impressive viewership data, Amazon’s slew of splashy announcements, and why this year might mark a turning point in media (02:20). Matt finishes the show with a discussion of the newest ‘Wicked’ trailer and the future of two-part movies (24:55). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click this link: puck.news/thetown Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices