The Town with Matthew Belloni

Amazon’s Spending Spree Under Scrutiny

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss his latest piece about Amazon CEO Andy Jassy asking his studio executives for detailed budget an...

Town Hall: Bob Iger’s Legacy, Summer Flops, and Streamer Mega-Mergers

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to Town Hall! Matt and Craig answer a slew of listener questions about Bob Iger’s legacy, an overpacked summer of blockbusters, how the...

Is David Zaslav Misunderstood?

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look back on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s publicly disgraced decisions to cut costs at th...

What Will Bring Gen Z to Theaters?

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Matthew Liebmann, the Chief Innovation and Data Officer at Vista Group, to discuss Gen Z’s relationship with going to the movies. ...

How Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is Becoming the Most Successful in History

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Nathan Hubbard—former CEO of Ticketmaster, current CEO of Firebird Music and Ringer podcaster—to discuss Taylor Swift’s world ...

The 2023 Executive Draft

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to compete in the very first executive draft. Matt and Lucas will each select who they believe is the best ...

It’s Time to Break Up Hollywood

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Matt Stoller, the research director for the American Economic Liberties Project and the writer of the monopoly-focused newsletter 'B...

Is the Superhero Era Finally Ending?

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss whether the recent stretch of superhero flops is a sign of things to come or simply a blip on th...

Has Pixar Lost its Magic Touch?

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Keegan to discuss Pixar’s recent cold streak, who’s to blame, and if it can be rectified. The...

'The Flash' and Marketing a Movie With a Controversial Star

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by veteran film marketing executive Terry Press to discuss the upcoming movie ‘The Flash’ and how studios promote and release a mov...

Netflix Top 10 Lists and the Era of Streamer Manipulation

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the growing issue of data transparency in the streaming era, whether streaming rankings— like ...

What the Writers Really Fear About AI in Hollywood

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by John Lopez, a writer, producer, and member of the AI working group in the WGA, to explain what the guild actually thinks about AI, m...

CNN’s Messy Chris Licht Era Is Over, Now What?

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Puck’s Dylan Byers to discuss the details behind Chris Licht’s fallout with CNN, why this happened now, how this reflects on War...

Hollywood’s Stealth Winners and Losers of the First Half of 2023

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to parse through the first half of an eventful 2023 and highlight the under-discussed winners and losers ac...

Who Is on the Studios' Side in the Writers Strike?

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by film producer and television executive Gail Berman ('Elvis,' 'Wednesday') to discuss the writers strike from the studios' perspectiv...

Cannes Winners, Losers, Scandals, and Big Takeaways

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw, who attended the Cannes Film Festival in France, to discuss the significance of the festival within the in...

Disney’s Prickly Theme Parks Problem

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by theme park journalist Scott Gustin as they discuss all the latest news surrounding the Disney parks, as well as Universal Studios. T...

How to Pull Off a Real-Life Mockumentary

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Ronald Gladden, the star of Amazon Freevee’s new hit series ‘Jury Duty,’ as well as the director of the show, Jake Szymanski. ...

Netflix Crashes TV’s Ad Party

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to analyze this year’s TV upfront presentations. They discuss Netflix’s upfront debut and its advertise...

The NBA Team Blowing Up Sports TV

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Endeavor executive vice presidents Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin to discuss the potentially groundbreaking TV deal they brokered ...

Hollywood’s China Problem

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel to discuss the current state of Hollywood’s relationship with China and how the Chin...

Bob Iger’s Six-Month Report Card at Disney

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to check in on Bob Iger six months after his return to Disney, to see what’s working and what isn’t. Th...

The Struggle of the Modern TV Writer With Mike Schur

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by writer, producer, and showrunner Mike Schur ('Parks and Recreation,' 'The Good Place,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'), to discuss the life of...

The Weird State of Media and Hollywood’s Role in It

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by journalist and cofounder of Semafor, Ben Smith, to talk about his new book ‘Traffic’ and the rise and fall of the biggest digita...

The 5 Biggest Narratives After Week 1 of the Writers Strike

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the most popular narratives that emerged after week 1 of the writers strike, including who is wi...

The 2023 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Scale

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s May, which means it is officially summer blockbuster season. Matt welcomes back The Wrap’s Scott Mendelson to run through each of the most hi...

Inside the Writers Strike With a WGA Negotiator

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by writer, TV host, and WGA negotiation committee member Adam Conover to break down what it has been like in the negotiation room from ...

The Writers' Strike Deadline Is Here. What Will Happen?

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the looming WGA strike on the day of its negotiation deadline, and how a likely strike will affe...

60 Is the New 30: The Revealing Ranking of Biggest Movie Stars

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Ray Subers, the senior vice president of theatrical strategy at National Research Group, to discuss an eye-opening study making the ...

Ben Winston Refuses to Declare Late-Night TV Dead

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Ben Winston, executive producer of 'The Late Late Show With James Corden' and the 2023 Grammys, to talk about the end of Corden’s ...

Another Executive Sex Scandal? How NBCU Can Pick Up the Pieces

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stepping down after an investigation into a complaint that he had an...

One Year After the Crash: Is the New Netflix Working?

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by LightShed Partners media analyst Rich Greenfield to discuss the state of Netflix one year after the Great Netflix Correction plummet...

Inside Fox’s $787M Settlement With Dominion and the Future of Fox News

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner, who is on the ground in Wilmington, Delaware, to discuss Fox’s $787 million settlement agreement with Domin...

Is ‘Air’ a Hit? Why That's Harder Than Ever to Answer

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss what constitutes a hit nowadays in Hollywood. Is Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’ a hit despite its dis...

Inside Rupert Murdoch’s Succession Drama

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Vanity Fair special correspondent Gabriel Sherman to discuss his latest story on Rupert Murdoch, where this empire stands now, and h...

How the Fox News Billion-Dollar Lawsuit Will Unfold

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by First Amendment litigator Doug Mirell to discuss the $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit between Fox and Dominion and the massive implic...

One Year After the Merger: Is Warner Bros. Discovery Actually Working?

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This past weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the $43 billion transaction that brought together Warner Media and Discovery to create Warner Bro...

Disney vs. DeSantis: Who Will Win

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Puck senior political correspondent Tara Palmeri to discuss the ongoing battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rega...

From Viral Videos to Hit TV With Dave Burd

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by rapper, comedian, writer, and actor Dave Burd—better known by his stage name, Lil Dicky—to discuss how his show ‘Dave’ becam...

WWE Sells, Netflix Pulls Back, and the Oscars' Bold Bid on Theaters

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Endeavor merging with the WWE, Netflix restructuring and retracting its movie division with the ...

Has Hollywood Finally Figured Out Video Games?

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by author and media investor Matthew Ball to discuss the recent boom in successful video game adaptations in Hollywood, whether this is...

Marvel’s Bad CGI and the Firing of a “Kingmaker”

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Chris Lee, a senior reporter at Vulture and New York magazine, to discuss why the quality of visual effects in comic book movies, pa...

Apple’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Movie Theaters

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss his report about Apple planning to get into the theatrical business in a big way, with the compa...

Lionsgate Film Chief Joe Drake on ‘John Wick’ and the Modern Independent Studio

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by the chair of the motion picture group at Lionsgate, Joe Drake, to talk about how the 'John Wick' series came to be and the future of...

BET and the Future of Small Streamers

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Puck contributor and analyst at Parrot Analytics Julia Alexander to talk about Paramount selling the BET, a rare instance in which a...

Is the Franchise Model Starting to Fatigue in Hollywood?

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss whether we are starting to see signs of decline in the franchise entertainment model. After the ...

Matt’s Year One Prediction Report Card

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt and Craig celebrate The Town’s one-year anniversary by looking back at Matt’s predictions and highlighting his best and worst takes after a w...

Michael B. Jordan and How to Build a Modern Movie Star Career

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by co-founder, president, and managing partner of M88 Phil Sun to talk about how to build a movie star career, how to evaluate projects...

The Oscar Bump: Which Young Stars Won Awards Season?

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Deadline senior reporter Justin Kroll to discuss which young actors benefited the most from awards season buzz and saw the biggest c...

Academy CEO Bill Kramer on the New and Improved (?) Oscars

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by the CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bill Kramer, to talk about his first year as CEO, the changes we will se...

Tips, Trends, and Storylines to Help You Bet on the Oscars

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Mosaic talent manager and Oscars enthusiast Michael Lasker to help parse through the chatter in Hollywood to find a gambling edge on...

The End of Peak TV Is Finally Here

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the recent dearth of hit TV shows and whether the current state of the streaming landscape marks...

The Ploys and Tactics Behind Oscar Campaigning

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by New Yorker staff writer Michael Schulman to discuss his new book ‘Oscar Wars’ and the ploys and tactics behind Oscar campaigning...

How F--ked Is Fox News?

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Puck’s Dylan Byers to talk about Rupert Murdoch’s surprisingly candid testimony regarding Fox News’ relationship with the Trum...

The Perfect Storm for a Writers Strike

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss what a potential writers strike would look like for Hollywood, how the economics of streaming ha...

Watching Your Favorite Team Is About to Get Harder

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Brandon Ross, partner at Lightshed Partners, to discuss the shifting balance of power for regional sports networks, where you can wa...

The 2023 Box Office Draft

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to conduct the first box office draft on The Town. Matt and Lucas each draft five blockbusters set to be re...

The Companies Most Likely to Be Sold or Acquired in 2023

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Axios senior media reporter and CNN media analyst Sara Fischer to discuss the current state of the deal market for entertainment com...

The Soap Opera Fight Over Paramount and CBS

14 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams of The New York Times to discuss their new book, ‘Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empir...

Will Bob Iger Sell Hulu or ESPN?

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Bob Iger’s first earnings report as new CEO of Disney, including a first look at his strategy ...

How to Write a Hit Rom-Com

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by writer director Aline Brosh McKenna, writer of hits like ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘27 Dresses,’ to talk about why the com...

True Crime Is Murdering Documentaries

08 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by New York Magazine features writer Reeves Wiedeman to discuss his latest piece, about the complicated state of documentaries right no...

The Death and “Rebirth” of Showtime

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the latest casualty of the streaming wars, Showtime, which was effectively killed last week when...

DC Is Going Big, but Can It Catch Marvel?

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Borys Kit to discuss DC’s latest press event revealing what the future of the DC universe will look lik...

The Future of Live Events and Late Night TV With Grammys EP Ben Winston

01 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Ben Winston, executive producer of the 2023 Grammy Awards, to talk about why the Grammys are the most difficult awards show to produ...

Peacock’s Promising Start to 2023 Might Not Be a Fluke

31 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss NBC’s typically struggling streaming service, Peacock, and its strong start to 2023. With show...

How an Indie Film Becomes an Oscar Winner

27 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Sundance, Matt is joined by Michael Barker, the copresident and cofounder of Sony Pictures Classics, to discuss Sony’s ability to discover...

Is the Sundance Dream Still Alive?

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Sundance, Matt is joined by entertainment dealmaker, lawyer, and media advisor John Sloss. John and his company, Cinetic Media, have been in...

How the Shocking Andrea Riseborough Oscar Nomination Happened

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Dani Weinstein, a veteran communications executive and marketer, to break down the savvy marketing campaign behind Andrea Riseboroug...

Inside the Netflix Executive Shake-up

23 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to go inside Netflix’s announcement that cofounder and co-CEO Reed Hastings will be stepping down, with COO...

Making Movie Stars Younger With AI

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by VFX executive Matt Panousis to discuss Hollywood’s open secret of de-aging actors, a new tool called Vanity AI, and when we’ll s...

Should Disney Be Afraid of Nelson Peltz?

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Disney’s proxy battle against activist shareholder Nelson Peltz, his plan (or lack thereof) to...

Around the World With Netflix’s Head of TV

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Rachel Syme to talk about her latest ‘New Yorker’ profile on Bela Bejaria, the global head of television at Netflix. Rachel talk...

‘M3GAN,' and How to Market a Movie to Young People

11 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Michael Moses, the chief marketing officer at Universal Pictures, to discuss their latest hit, the horror film ‘M3GAN,’ and why ...

Vince McMahon’s Return and the WWE’s Most Intriguing Suitors

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Vince McMahon’s unceremonious return to the WWE, his plan to help facilitate a sale before agr...

The New Black List and the Original Screenwriting Recession

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Franklin Leonard, a film executive and the founder of the Black List, a yearly publication featuring Hollywood's most popular unprod...

Why Audiences Have Given Up on Awards Movies

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Awards season is in full swing, and besides 'Avatar,' the critically acclaimed movies are more or less tanking. Today Matt is joined by Kevin Goetz—...

The Townies Part 2: Hollywood’s Best and Worst of 2022

28 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s Part 2 of podcasting’s most exclusive event of the year, the first-annual Townie Awards. In Part 2, Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw give ou...

The Townies: Hollywood’s Best and Worst of 2022

27 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s podcasting’s most exclusive event of the year, the first annual Townie Awards. This is a show made up of awards created by us, based on our o...

Why YouTube Landed NFL ‘Sunday Ticket’

23 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week YouTube closed on a multi-billion dollar deal to take over NFL ‘Sunday Ticket,’ marking the next major sign of sports television's inevi...

2022 Debacles Part 2: The 2023 Hot Seat and Hollywood’s Biggest Loser

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of our biggest debacles of the year conversation, Matt welcomes back Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to nominate the executive on the hot seat in 2...

2022 Debacles Part 1: Movie Bombs, Executive Misfires, and Secret Disasters

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This entire year was arguably a debacle for most in Hollywood, the content bubble has seemingly burst, the streaming model may be broken, and companie...

The Stranglehold of Streaming, With United Talent Agency CEO Jeremy Zimmer

16 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by the CEO of United Talent Agency (UTA) Jeremy Zimmer to discuss how the financial downturn of the streaming model has trickled down t...

‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ With Producer Jon Landau

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by film producer Jon Landau to talk about his latest project ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ and creating the most successful movie of a...

The Biggest Flexes of the Year in Hollywood

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the most successful power moves of the year in Hollywood. In what was widely considered a diffic...

John Skipper on the Rise of the Sports Documentary and Bob Iger’s Big Plans

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by former president of ESPN John Skipper to talk about his thoughts on Bob Iger’s return, Disney’s next big move, whether it should...

Rob McElhenney on Merging Soccer, Celebrity, and a TV Empire

07 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by actor, producer, writer, and co-owner of Wrexham AFC Rob McElhenney to talk about the back story and business model of his documenta...

Smoke or Fire? The Most Troubled Hollywood Companies

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

2022 has been a rough year for Hollywood—theater chains have struggled, mass layoffs are taking place, and stocks have plummeted. Matt is joined by ...

The Streaming Year-End Review: Biggest Hits, Misses, and Questions

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Julia Alexander from Parrot Analytics to assess how each streamer performed in 2022. Did ‘Andor’ move the needle for Disney+? Wh...

The Big Business of Christmas Movies

30 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Amy Winter, the head of programming at Lifetime, to discuss the explosion of holiday movies over the past decade, why Christmas movi...

Disney’s Five Biggest Dilemmas in the New Bob Iger Era

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the biggest problems on Disney’s plate in the Bob Iger Era, Part 2, including the recent box o...

The Taylor Swift Ticketmaster Debacle, Explained

23 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to dive deep into the chaos of trying to buy tickets to Taylor Swift’s newly announced Era’s Tour. They...

A Major Disney Shake-up: Former CEO Bob Iger Is Back

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to break down the return of Bob Iger as CEO of Disney once again. They talk about whether Disney needed to ...

Oscars Watch Begins: Front-Runners, Story Lines, and the ‘Top Gun’ Debate

18 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

With awards season ramping up, Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg to discuss his forecast for the upcoming Oscars, including fr...

The Secrets of Marvel’s Magic

16 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Marvel’s executive of production and development and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ producer Nate Moore to discuss what make...

The 2022 Directors Draft

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine you are the head of a new film studio with an unlimited budget. Who are the movie directors you would pay the most money to sign for the next ...

Town Hall: Apple Buying Disney? 'SNL's Host Problem, and a Ryan Murphy Apology

10 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to Town Hall! Matt and Craig answer listener questions about CNN’s lackluster election-night ratings, the host problem with 'SNL,’ Di...

Predicting the Opening Weekend for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

09 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian to discuss the pseudoscience of movie tracking and how box office projections are m...

What a Wall Street Meltdown Means for the Consumer

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the price increases across multiple streaming platforms, the addition of ad-supported tiers, wan...

Netflix vs. HBO: The TV Rivalry of the Century

03 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Since its launch nearly 50 years ago, HBO has revolutionized and disrupted the television ecosystem, but for the past 15 years it has been challenged ...