Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to 'The Bachelor.' Multiple times each week, Matt will touch on what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.
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Matt is joined by Entertainment 360 literary manager/producer Geoff Shaevitz to discuss why spec-script sales have taken off in Hollywood over the past year. Geoff speculates on what kick-started this trend, why buyers are moving away from fully packaged deals, which genres are selling, which studios are buying, and whether the original-script boom is here to stay (02:50). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the opening weekend box offices for ‘Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl' and ‘The Smashing Machine' (25:15). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Geoff Shaevitz 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 weekend box office performance of ‘One Battle After Another': Was the film a flop or a hit? With Warner Bros.' film slate done for the year, Matt and Lucas discuss the studio's performance this year and how it could affect chiefs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, as well as the studio as a whole, amid a potential sale to David Ellison (02:58). They also discuss President Trump's renewed threats of imposing tariffs on films made outside the United States (22:59). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on what will happen with AI actress Tilly Norwood (25:26). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 Purdy, a media strategy leader at KPMG, to discuss their illuminating new study outlining how much the major networks are spending on content and, more importantly, where. They discuss why these companies need to start spending their money differently and how user-generated content might soon become more powerful than the traditional content models (02:36). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Paul Thomas Anderson's newest film, ‘One Battle After Another' (25:28). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Scott Purdy 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 Eriq Gardner to discuss the return of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!' and unpack what could happen next. They talk about why Brendan Carr and the FCC may not be as powerful as they might seem, whether affiliate stations can preempt ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!' indefinitely, and whether Disney could leverage its power by withholding its most valuable content—like the NFL and college football—from these affiliate networks (02:47). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the postponement of the Apple TV+ show ‘The Savant' (25:43). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Eriq Gardner 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 announcement that Jimmy Kimmel will be returning to ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!' this Tuesday night, and the various ramifications that could follow. They talk about how Disney has handled this situation, the possibility of ABC affiliates refusing to air the show, former Disney CEO Michael Eisner's criticism of current CEO Bob Iger, and how this affects Iger's legacy (02:47). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the season-long ratings for the 2025 NFL season (27:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 Bill Carter to discuss the suspension of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!' after portions of Kimmel's monologue on Monday night sparked outrage among several ABC affiliate groups as well as FCC chairman Brendan Carr. They discuss Disney's decision to pull Kimmel off the air, why certain affiliate groups might be motivated to side with Carr, what leverage the FCC has in this situation, Trump's online celebration and call-outs for other late-night hosts to be canceled, and where this all goes from here (03:49). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Bill Carter Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Rotten Tomatoes awards editor Jacqueline Coley to reveal how the Rotten Tomatoes rating system works, the reasoning behind its binary grading system, whether the system favors certain movies, why the Tomatometer scores have increased over the past 10 years, and why Rotten Tomatoes is so popular in the current online movie criticism landscape (02:39). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Him' and ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey' (31:38). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jacqueline Coley 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 and LightShed's Rich Greenfield to discuss the report that David Ellison is interested in making a majority-cash bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Matt, Lucas, and Rich discuss why Ellison is doing this now after just acquiring Paramount, whether a merger like this is even possible, the ramifications of the continued consolidation in Hollywood, how valuable Warner Bros. is to Ellison, and what else Ellison could buy (02:50). Later, Lucas and Matt recap the 2025 Emmy Awards, highlighting their winners and losers and, most importantly, which after-party had the best food (25:43). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guests: Lucas Shaw and 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 Puck's Julia Alexander to preview the 2025 Emmy Awards and look at which shows should already be considered winners from a business perspective. They discuss how many people are actually watching the nominated shows, whether they justify their budget, and which show got the biggest boost from their nomination (02:01) Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba—The Movie: Infinity Castle' (29:27). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Julia AlexanderProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by the New York Times' Jim Rutenberg to discuss the bombshell news that the Murdochs have settled their ongoing family trust succession dispute, which will now keep Lachlan Murdoch on top, with the other siblings taking buyouts for over $1 billion each. Matt and Jim discuss why the siblings finally settled, if this was a good deal for them or a disappointing capitulation, and what's next for the Fox empire under Lachlan (02:52). Matt finishes the show with an Oscar prediction after attending the Toronto Film Festival (27:25). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jim Rutenberg 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 YouTube's exclusive NFL debut on Friday night, which brought in 17 million viewers; the surprising box-office success of ‘The Wizard of Oz' at the Sphere in Las Vegas; and if there is a path to sustained success for The Sphere as a movie venue. They also discuss longtime billionaire investor John Malone's attempt to find a new home for Warner Bros. Discovery, and if David Ellison is the most likely suitor (02:17). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Bari Weiss's future at CBS (26:16). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 Fergus Navaratnam-Blair of National Research Group to discuss his surprising study revealing Generation Alpha's love for and interest in the theatrical movie experience. They look at the most interesting data from the study, including Gen A's interest in seeing movies with friends, their strong attention span, and their ability to put down their phones during a movie. They also dig into the most important IP and actors for the younger generation of moviegoers (02:06). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites' and ‘Hamilton' in theaters (25:13). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Fergus Navaratnam-Blair Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Live from the El Rey theater in Los Angeles, Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw and Adam Aron, the CEO and chairman of AMC Theatres, to discuss the state of the moviegoing business, why there are so many trailers and ads before the movie starts, Adam's relationship with Netflix, and how the theatrical business can evolve (02:20). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guests: Adam Aron and Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, Helen Eichner, John Richter, Victoria Valencia, and Donald LoBianco Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Puck's box office expert, Scott Mendelson, to judge their early summer box office predictions by looking at the biggest hits, misses, and questions from the 2025 summer slate (02:09). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 prominent independent film producer Christine Vachon to discuss the general state and health of the independent film market. She discusses her newest film, ‘Materialists,' how her company, Killer Films, has lasted 30 years, the challenge of getting challenging films made, where money is coming from in the indie space, and the current film festival hierarchy (02:15). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming Darren Aronofsky film ‘Caught Stealing' (25:58).For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Christine Vachon 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 surprise hit ‘KPop Demon Hunters,' which has become their second-most popular English-language film. Unexpectedly, Netflix decided to release ‘KPop Demon Hunters' in theaters, where it brought in nearly $20 million in ticket sales despite releasing on streaming in June. Matt and Lucas discuss why Netflix did this despite its very clear view on movie theaters, whether the movie could have been a massive hit had it gone straight to theaters, and why AMC refused to show this movie (02:49). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming season of ‘Saturday Night Live' (24:45). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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
Live from the Edinburgh TV Festival in Scotland, Matt is joined by television producer and executive Stephen Lambert to discuss the current state of reality TV, his newest hit, ‘The Traitors,' how to cast reality competition, what streamers are looking for in 2025, how that's changed, and whether America is falling behind in creating fresh reality formats (02:11). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Stephen Lambert Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Pete Distad, CEO of Fox's direct-to-consumer streaming platform, to discuss Fox One, the company's first significant foray into streaming, which will offer all of Fox's news, sports, and entertainment branded content together in one platform. They talk about the juggernaut of news and sports, the end of NFL exclusively on broadcast, why the price is so high ($20 per month), the potential that it will cannibalize Fox's successful existing cable business, the option to bundle with ESPN for $40, and more (02:40). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the Duffer brothers, who are leaving Netflix for Paramount (24:56). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Pete Distad 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 past 15 years in Hollywood and determine which moments were the most detrimental to the industry. In descending order, they each rank and explain their top five moments that had the most meaningful and negative effect on the greater Hollywood ecosystem (01:53). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Taylor Swift's next act (29:57).For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 NYT staff reporter Brooks Barnes to discuss Paramount's new strategy under David Ellison. They were both at Paramount's press event earlier this week, so they dissect what Ellison told the press about the company's new direction and discuss their views on theater windows, Paramount's content spend, its streaming strategy, and whether it will sell off its cable assets (02:43). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on where the New Heights episode with Taylor Swift will rank among the top-viewed podcasts of all time on YouTube (27:06).For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 A.J. Wolfe, creator of the website Disney Food Blog and author of a new book, ‘Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture'. They dive into the "Disney adult" culture and its growing community, how Disney caters to this specific demo, the millennial connection, and thoughts on Josh D'Amaro, as well as the power this community has over Disney (02:28). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on the ratings for the 'Kennedy Center Honors' broadcast on CBS later this year (26:51). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: A.J. Wolfe 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 and Ashley Carman to discuss UFC's $7.7 billion rights deal with Paramount, as well as the changing landscape in the podcast business. They begin by discussing the huge swing David Ellison took to secure the entire slate of UFC's streaming and broadcast rights for Paramount+, eliminating the pay-per-view model. They debate where the money comes from and why UFC ultimately chose Paramount over others (02:47). Next, they discuss Amazon's decision to fold its podcast unit, Wondery, into its Audible banner; talk about the industry's shift into the video format; and predict which podcast has the best chance to dethrone Joe Rogan (12:19). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw and Ashley Carman Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Indian superstar actor and producer Aamir Khan to discuss his bold strategy to release his newest film exclusively on YouTube despite an eight-figure offer from a traditional streamer. He explains how this decision fuels his own creative responsibility for the film, the rationale of sacrificing money for reach, the drawbacks of the presale model, and why there needs to be a stop between theatrical and streaming video on demand (03:23). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the theatrical release of ‘Hamilton' (25:42). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Aamir Khan Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Huddle Up's Joe Pompliano to break down why the NFL is acquiring a 10 percent stake in ESPN in exchange for NFL Network and other media assets. They discuss the complicated details of this deal and what's in it for both sides, including how this will affect ESPN's NFL offerings and its upcoming stand-alone streaming service (02:42). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Freakier Friday' and ‘Weapons' (27:06). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Joe Pompliano Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss a wide range of topics from around town this week, including David Ellison's new Paramount executive hierarchy, the Week 2 nosedive taken by 'The Fantastic Four' despite its good reviews, Peacock's stagnation and reliance on sports, YouTube stars Dude Perfect releasing their own documentary in movie theaters, and more (01:51). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the Netflix viewership numbers for 'Happy Gilmore 2' and the future of the IP (26:33). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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
LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Seth MacFarlane to discuss how the new ‘The Naked Gun' got green-lit, the lost art of joke-driven comedy, how to push the envelope in 2025, and why it's harder than ever for even someone like him to get a studio comedy made (01:49). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Seth MacFarlane Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Richard Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, to discuss the influence of the IMAX brand and its growing popularity among moviegoers. They talk about how the marketing has changed for IMAX movies, selling tickets to Christopher Nolan's ‘The Odyssey' on IMAX a year in advance, and whether other theater chains could create their own premium large-format competitor (02:38). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Naked Gun' (26:49). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Richard Gelfond 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 possible changes coming to Paramount now that Skydance and its CEO, David Ellison, are officially taking over. Just how much will the new media mogul influence the movies, shows, and news under the Paramount umbrella (02:17)? Matt, Lucas, and Craig finish the show with a prediction about ‘Happy Gilmore 2' (26:59). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Mosaic's Michael Lasker to talk about the explosive new 'South Park' episode, the buzz around town, and how Matt Stone and Trey Parker continue to push the envelope and get away with it (02:38). Later, Michael explains what the market is like for comedy right now, what is being sold, what studios are looking for, why theatrical comedies are struggling, the pullback on sitcoms, and whether there is reason for optimism (07:29). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Michael Lasker Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Tickets go live today at 10 a.m. PT. Click here for tickets!Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz to discuss how much pressure is on ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' for the next era of the MCU to succeed. They discuss some of the changes Marvel has made to combat superhero fatigue, Kevin Feige's future, and whether Marvel or DC is better positioned to win the rest of the decade (02:50). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' (28:52).For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt Belloni Guest: Ben FritzProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss what's next for Stephen Colbert, and whether Netflix could ever produce a successful late-night show. Then, they dissect Netflix's latest earnings report and highlight its strengths and weaknesses, including why the stock fell despite strong financial earnings, how concerning is its stagnation in the share of viewing metric, its use of AI in ‘The Eternaut', and more (02:42). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Fox amid Donald Trump's latest lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (25:12). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by veteran late-night executive and producer Nick Bernstein to discuss CBS's decision to cancel ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert'—despite being the number one late night show on TV—and debate whether or not there was any political involvement, as Skydance is still looking for the FCC's approval in a merger with CBS's parent company, Paramount Global. They also dive into the declining economics in all of late night, the CBS head George Cheeks's other possible motives for firing Colbert at this moment, the future of late night, and more (03:07). Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for ‘Smurfs' and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer' (29:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.comHost: Matt Belloni Guest: Nick BernsteinProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Rebecca Ford, senior correspondent at Vanity Fair, to cohost The Town's first Emmy Nomination Awards, the first awards show dedicated to nominations for an awards show. Matt and Rebecca give out awards like Biggest Winner, Sneaky Loser, Most Embarrassing Nomination for the Academy, Thirstiest Campaign, the “Enough Already” Award, Best Breakout Nomination, and more (01:45). Matt and Rebecca finish the show with predictions for Best Comedy Series, Best Drama Series, and Best Limited Series (23:37). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Rebecca Ford Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the strong opening weekend for 'Superman,' talk about whether this movie is enough to kick-start a DC reboot, and revisit Marvel's post-'Avengers' strategy as they look ahead to ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps' and beyond. Later, they discuss the impressive and timely run of box office successes from the Warner Bros. movie studio and take a look at which studio heads are on the hot seat as we near the end of summer (02:15). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about AMC Theatres (23:10). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by CNBC senior media and tech correspondent Julia Boorstin live from Sun Valley 2025 to discuss what we can expect from this year's summer camp for billionaires. Julia gives us the latest buzz on potential mergers, behind-the-scenes conversations about AI, the NFL's global plans, Linda Yaccarino leaving Twitter, and more (02:19). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the newly announced HBO sketch comedy show from Larry David and Barack Obama's Higher Ground (26:17). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Julia Boorstin Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Joe Chianese of Entertainment Partners to unpack the new California tax bill, which will significantly expand the state's film and TV tax incentive, making California one of the most competitive states in the country for film and TV production. Joe helps us dig into the bill, what it actually means for film and TV productions, who benefits the most, who doesn't, why this bill finally passed now, and whether this will spark a return to power for California in the film and TV production space (02:51). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Superman' (25:27). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Joe Chianese Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the standoff between ‘South Park' creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Paramount amid the looming merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. They break down the details of this public fight, why the new season of ‘South Park' is delayed, and how the Trump-Paramount settlement could affect this situation (03:23). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Jesse Eisenberg potentially returning for the sequel of ‘The Social Network' (26:23). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter to discuss Paramount reaching an agreement with President Donald Trump to settle his lawsuit with ‘60 Minutes' for $16 million. They discuss the curious timing of the settlement amid the looming Paramount-Skydance merger, whether the FCC will approve this merger, the potential of a follow-up bribery investigation, how this will affect the Paramount and CBS brand, and the long-term political and journalistic implications of this agreement. For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Brian Stelter Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum to discuss why his new film, ‘M3GAN 2.0', significantly underperformed in its opening weekend, making only $10M domestically, Blumhouse's recent slump, what he has learned from this year, the state of the horror genre, and the highs and lows of moviemaking (02:20). Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth' (28:03). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Jason Blum Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the opening weekend box office performance of ‘F1,' whether it should be considered a hit, and what this means for Apple's interest in releasing movies in theaters. They also look at the rest of the tech streamers and discuss who is best positioned to release movies theatrically and, more importantly, who is most interested in doing so. Later, they discuss the disappointing opening weekend of 'Megan 2.0' and what this means for Blumhouse (02:20). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about what the most viewed show will be on Netflix this week (23:42). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Matt is joined by Wells Fargo media analyst Steven Cahall to talk about the possibility of Netflix going after YouTube content creators, its possible venture into short-form content, and the effects on Hollywood if this were to happen. They discuss how much (if at all) YouTube would hurt if Netflix took its top creators, the appeal for creators to make that jump, the different type of content that would be produced, and reasons why Netflix hasn't already done this (02:47). Matt finishes off the show with a weekend box office prediction for ‘F1' and ‘M3GAN 2.0' (26:16). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com 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 is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to look back at the first half of 2025 and highlight the stories they believe were most under-covered (01:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing ...,' click here.Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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