The Town with Matthew Belloni

Matt is joined by Kevin Goetz, the CEO of Screen Engine/ASI, to discuss the world of test screenings. They dive into the importance of these test screenings, which filmmakers utilize the screenings (and which refuse), lessons learned while testing ‘Sinners,' how Kevin interprets the audience data, and the responsibility of communicating that data to the filmmakers (02:35). Matt finishes the show with opening weekend box office predictions for ‘28 Years Later' and Pixar's ‘Elio' (27:15). 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 Belloni Guest: Kevin Goetz 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 2025 and highlight the stories they believe were most overcovered (01:47). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of the Hulu brand (26:27). 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: 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 Debra Birnbaum, editor-in-chief of GoldDerby and former head of awards at Amazon Studios, to discuss the logistics of Emmy campaigning, how Emmy and Oscar campaigns differ, who actually votes, and the cost behind small and large campaigns (02:38). Debra sticks around for the Call Sheet to help Matt predict which shows will be nominated in Best Drama, Comedy, and Limited Series categories at the Emmys (24:41). 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: Debra Birnbaum Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by David Kramer, the new CEO of United Talent Agency, to discuss his new position, how the talent representation business has changed, industry challenges like the content slowdown, the transition from linear to streaming, labor unrest, AI, and the end of packaging. They also discuss whether private equity has been good or bad for the agency business and how the talent pay structure is changing (03:03). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘How to Train Your Dragon' (26:47). 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: David Kramer 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 long-awaited breakup of Warner Bros. Discovery, and break down what these two new companies will consist of. They look at why this happened now, what this means for HBO Max and CNN, and who is the most likely buyer for each spun-off company (02:56). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Blake Lively's lawsuit against Justin Baldoni (25:10). 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 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 veteran publicist and co-CEO of Kovert Creative, Lewis Kay, to discuss how much the game has changed in the world of celebrity PR, including how the modern media landscape has impacted the celebrity press tour, what works and what doesn't, and why that is so hard to predict nowadays (02:50). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the movie 'Ballerina' (29:40). 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: Lewis Kay Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by nine-time Tony Award–winning producer John Johnson to talk about his latest hit, ‘Good Night and Good Luck,' and the decision to stream the play live on CNN for the first time in Broadway history. They also take a broader look at the Broadway business, discussing how much money a play or musical costs to produce, what kind of ticket sales constitutes a hit, which individuals get paid the most, why A-list stars are flocking to the stage, and more (02:23). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the final season of ‘Stranger Things' (27:26). 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: John Johnson 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 Taylor Swift's purchase of the rights to the master recordings of her first six albums, which were originally sold to Scooter Braun in 2019 and later acquired by Shamrock Capital. They discuss the details of the deal, the winners and losers, and how Swift has changed the music industry by paving the way for artists to own their work (02:45). Matt closes the show with a prediction about the 2025 NBA Finals ratings (23:44). 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

Live from Hollywood, Matt is joined by comedian John Mulaney to talk about his experience writing for the 'SNL' 50th anniversary special and what he thinks will happen to the show moving forward. He also discusses how he managed to get away with his unique late-night show on Netflix, how he deals with executive notes, learning from his sitcom, and whether he'd ever return to scripted comedy (01:39). Matt finishes the show with an opening-weekend box office prediction for ‘Karate Kid: Legends' (28:19). 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 BelloniGuest: John Mulaney Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by comedian Mike Birbiglia to talk about how the goal of the modern stand-up comedian has changed over the past decade. They discuss whether stand-up alone is no longer enough and how necessary shoulder programming like podcasting and social media is for building a following. They also talk about Netflix's influence on stand-up and whether comedians want to make movies and TV anymore (02:30). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on which movies from the Cannes Film Festival will generate Oscar buzz (30:22). 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: Mike Birbiglia 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 Rogen and Evan Goldberg to discuss what they learned from industry executives before writing the show, choosing Netflix's Ted Sarandos over Apple CEO Tim Cook for a cameo, desperately pitching Ice Cube, how they shot in a real Las Vegas casino, and which scenes were cut before they weigh in on the state of theatrical comedy in Hollywood (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 Belloni Guests: Seth Rogen and Evan 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 Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the writer-director duo behind ‘The Studio,' to discuss how the show came together, what the show gets right and wrong about Hollywood, which characters are based on real people, and why the show presented a different challenge than anything they had ever worked on before (02:44). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Lilo & Stitch' (26:20). 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: Seth Rogen and Evan 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 Sean Evans, host of ‘Hot Ones,' to discuss how he turned a niche internet interview show into one of the most popular celebrity talk shows in media. Sean discusses the business behind the show, how long it took to start making money, the art of interviewing celebrities, whether he views ‘Hot Ones' as a competitor to late night, and what the future holds for both him and the show (02:22). Matt closes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' (27:05). 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: Sean Evans Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Spotify's global head of music vertical, Charlie Hellman, to talk about the current state of the music industry, how the music streaming era has impacted artists, how artists actually get paid by Spotify, competing with YouTube, the surge in AI-generated music, and artists' biggest frustrations with Spotify (02:27). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about President Donald Trump's $20 billion lawsuit against CBS (26:07). Disclaimer: This podcast is produced by The Ringer, which is owned by Spotify. 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 CNBC Media and sports reporter Alex Sherman to discuss their five biggest takeaways from the TV upfronts, what the biggest platforms and streamers are prioritizing now, the rebranding of Max back to HBO Max and what it says about the new strategy for Warner Bros. Discovery, an NFL game on YouTube, how the NFL is distributing its media rights, ESPN's new standalone streaming service costing $30/month, Netflix and Amazon's heavy push toward franchises, and the growing dominance of YouTube (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about The Weeknd's new movie ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow' (00:00). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing…' click here. 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 in person by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan from the annual TV upfronts in New York to discuss YouTube's relationship with Hollywood in 2025, challenges from TikTok and Instagram, and why creators continue to seek out other platforms after gaining success on YouTube. They also talk about their newest deal with the NFL, which includes a YouTube-exclusive NFL game, and how they plan to reinvent watching sports (0:32). Matt finishes the show with a prediction surrounding the announcement that the streaming service Max is changing its name back to HBO Max (32:51). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing…' click here. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Neal Mohan 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 announcements and narratives that emerged from the latest Q1 earnings reports, including Disney's new theme park in Abu Dhabi, a Bob Iger succession check-in, a potential Warner Bros. Discovery split, Paramount in trouble, and other takeaways following streaming's continued path towards profitability (2:20). Matt finishes the show with a prediction surrounding the latest news of 'Reacher' star Alan Ritchson's fight with manager Dan Spilo (26:13). Email Fritz@puck.news to inquire about Puck's Stories of the Season event. For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing…' click here. 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 May, which means summer blockbuster season has officially begun. Matt welcomes back Puck's Scott Mendelson to run through the most highly anticipated films of the summer, ranking each one by their box office potential and sharing their confidence levels for which are most likely to exceed expectations (2:25). Matt wraps up the show with a discussion about the newest Golden Globes category: Best Podcast (43:30)! 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 Ray Subers, senior vice president of theatrical strategy at the National Research Group, to discuss the newest iteration of their eye-opening study highlighting which stars make people most interested in going to a movie theater. They discuss why Tom Holland is so high in the ranking, why Glen Powell is so low, why Gen Z still loves the Rock and Adam Sandler, and why Zendaya is nearing the top 10. They also talk about the importance of awards campaigning, how nostalgia impacts longevity, and the power of recency bias (2:32). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines' (27:15). For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing…' click here. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Ray Subers 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 Donald Trump's social media post announcing a plan to institute tariffs on movies coming to America that are produced in foreign countries. They investigate whether imposing a tariff on a movie is even possible, how disastrous this could be for the movie industry, and whether this could ultimately lead to a more reasonable outcome that could actually help Hollywood. For a 20 percent discount on Matt's Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I'm Hearing…' click here. 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 for Part 2 of his conversation with Casey Bloys to discuss what HBO and Max are looking for going forward, how he deals with competition, why he has stayed at HBO for over 20 years, the TV show he is most jealous of, what he would do as king of Hollywood for a day, and more (01:08). 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: Casey Bloys Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, to talk about the shifting strategies of the HBO and Max brand under the new leadership of David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery, the challenges of being a “something for everybody” service, why they are no longer competing with Netflix, and why HBO is still the top choice for creatives (02:48). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the Marvel film ‘Thunderbolts*' (26:52). 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: Casey Bloys 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 latest twist in the saga of Paramount, '60 Minutes,' and Trump after the show's executive producer Bill Owens stepped down because he “felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.” Matt and Lucas look at how the '60 Minutes' drama complicates things for Paramount head Shari Redstone, who desperately wants the Paramount-Skydance merger to close, and what her options are as this endless saga continues (03:01). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Taylor Sheridan's future with Paramount and his relationship with Paramount executive Chris McCarthy (25:06).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 ShawProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by director and former stunt coordinator David Leitch (‘The Fall Guy,' ‘Bullet Train,' ‘Deadpool 2') to discuss the newest category added to the Academy Awards: Achievement in Stunt Design, which will debut in 2028. David  explains how this came to be, the criteria by which the category will be judged, how CGI and AI have affected stunts, which stars still do their own stunts, and how stunt design has changed over the years (02:34). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Accountant 2' (27:18). 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: David Leitch 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 talk about Netflix's latest earning reports and how it can accomplish its ambitious goals for the future. With Netflix being valued at about $450 billion and continuing to be profitable, they debate whether Netflix can reach its lofty goals of 410 million subscribers and becoming a trillion-dollar company by 2030 (02:32). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on how the new rule for Oscar voting will affect the results (26:03). 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 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 and Franklin Leonard, a film executive and founder of the Black List, to discuss the weekend box office performance of ‘Sinners', the road it has to become profitable, and the revolving conversation around the special deal that director Ryan Coogler negotiated with Warner Bros. to make it. They also debate why the international numbers for ‘Sinners' weren't as strong, if race has anything to do with the type of media coverage the film has received, and if the type of deal that Coogler made is the end of the studio system or just hyperbole (04:04). 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 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 David Stassen, co-creator of Netflix's ‘Running Point,' to talk about the many ways that TV comedy has changed in the streaming era. Dave uses his experience as a working writer and producer for over 15 years to shed some light on what's changed the most in the TV business, including why seasons of television are so much shorter now, how a shorter season affects the writing and pitching process, what streamers are looking for in the comedy space, and how the definition of success has changed (02:21). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the new Ryan Coogler film ‘Sinners' (27:19). 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: David Stassen 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 Michael Wolff to discuss his latest profile on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in New York Magazine. They talk about whether—despite the bad press—he is actually doing a good job running WBD, the Hollywood he wants to live in vs. the one he's actually in, and what it means to be a media mogul in 2025 (03:32). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the pending merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global (25:11). 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: Michael Wolff 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 parse the media landscape and determine which companies are most vulnerable amid the Trump tariff chaos. They discuss how much this volatility will cost the entertainment industry, who is best suited to weather the storm, and if this will affect the cost of production (02:45). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about 'Saturday Night Live' headed to the U.K. (25:22). 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

It's Coachella weekend, so Matt is joined by Dave Brooks, the senior director of touring at Billboard, to discuss all things music festivals. David gives us the latest on Coachella: how it's been doing lately, how much money headliners make, and whether it's still the most culturally relevant music festival in the world. They then go through a music festival power ranking, discussing which are on the rise, how the economics have changed, and where things are going (02:18). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the newest category added to the Academy Awards (25:14). 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: Dave Brooks 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 Eli Roth to discuss his new, all-encompassing horror media company the Horror Section, which allows horror lovers to “own” a portion of the company and share in the profits. They get into why Eli is so passionate about this idea, how the model actually works, and why the unrated horror genre is the perfect fit for a venture like this (02:41). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the Rami Malek action flick ‘The Amateur' (26:04). To learn more about Eli Roth's company, click here. 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: Eli Roth 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 first surprise blockbuster of 2025, ‘A Minecraft Movie'; who deserves credit; what its success says about the current moment in IP-driven moviemaking; and whether video game adaptations are the new gold mine for attracting younger audiences (02:36). Finally, Matt makes a prediction about the ratings of the NCAA men's championship game (25:17). 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 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 The Ringer's Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins of ‘The Big Picture' podcast to recap their recent trip to Las Vegas for CinemaCon and discuss which studio presentations were the most impressive, concerning, and confusing. 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: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Brillstein Entertainment Partners CEO Jon Liebman to discuss the difference between a manager and an agent and how that has changed over the past 20 years. Jon gives his thoughts on CAA's lawsuit against Range Media Partners, the impact of private equity's foray into the representation world, how the end of packaging agreements has affected the representation business, and the changing of the guard at WME and UTA (03:12). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘A Minecraft Movie' (26:26). 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: Jon Liebman Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Matt is joined by Regal CEO Eduardo Acuna, 'F1' director Joseph Kosinski, Universal global distribution chairman Peter Levinsohn, and Neon CEO Tom Quinn to answer some of the most difficult questions about the state of the theatrical business, including movies leaving theaters too soon, streaming's impact on people's perception of movies, and what needs to happen to get people back into movie theaters. 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: Eduardo Acuna, Joseph Kosinski, Peter Levinsohn, and Tom Quinn Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by The Entertainment Strategy Guy to look back on the Jen Salke era at Amazon MGM Studios and dissect their television and movie strategy, what performed, what didn't, and what lessons should be taken as they usher in a new era at the company (02:54). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on who will replace Jen Salke as the head of Amazon MGM Studios (27:24). 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: Entertainment Strategy Guy Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Dude Perfect CEO Andrew Yaffe to talk about the state of the creator economy and why popular YouTube stars are starting to partner with streamers. He outlines how a popular YouTube channel makes its money, the limitations of YouTube, the benefit of partnering with traditional Hollywood studios, and why Hollywood is growing more interested in YouTube stars (03:31). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the newest Jason Statham film, ‘A Working Man' (26:08). 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: Andrew Yaffe 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 the upcoming theatrical slate for each of the major movie studios and determine which movie matters the most for the strategy of each company (02:17). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on where the newly available Jason Bourne franchise will land next (25:40). 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 Puck's Julia Alexander to discuss Apple's current strategy in Hollywood—or lack thereof—the popularity of ‘Severance,' a jump in Apple TV+ subscribers, and why now is an important time for Apple Studios to decide who it wants to be (03:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the director of the next James Bond film (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 Belloni Guest: Julia Alexander Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Axios senior media reporter and CNN analyst Sara Fischer to talk about the unexpected uncertainty in Hollywood under Donald Trump 2.0, and how the current administration's actions could affect every corner of the entertainment business (02:12). Matt finishes the show with two opening weekend box office predictions for ‘Snow White' and ‘Alto Knights' (24:40). 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: Sara Fischer 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 hottest narratives around town and give their optimistic and pessimistic views of each. These narratives include: Hollywood is catering its content to Trump's audience, movies like ‘Mickey 17' leaving theaters so quickly are killing theatrical films (01:41), Warner Bros. is doomed as a movie studio, and Apple TV+ is quietly becoming a hitmaker (15:35). 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 entertainment lawyer and litigator Bryan Freedman to discuss the key legal issues surrounding actor Justin Baldoni's lawsuits against ‘It Ends With Us' costar Blake Lively, her husband Ryan Reynolds, her PR team, and ‘The New York Times,' as well as Blake Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni. Matt questions Bryan about the non-disparaging agreement between Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively, the issue of regulating behavior on set, and the growing influence social media has in the PR world (03:12). 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 Belloni Guest: Bryan Freedman Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices