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. F...
Jul 02, 2025•29 min
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...
Jul 01, 2025•35 min
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...
Jun 30, 2025•33 min
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 ...
Jun 25, 2025•33 min
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! [email protected] Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 23, 2025•30 min
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...
Jun 18, 2025•35 min
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! [email protected] Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie LopezTheme Song: Devon Ren...
Jun 16, 2025•33 min
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, ‘Wh...
Jun 12, 2025•37 min
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 ...
Jun 11, 2025•34 min
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 ...,’ ...
Jun 09, 2025•32 min
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 ....
Jun 06, 2025•37 min
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 ...
Jun 04, 2025•34 min
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 disco...
Jun 02, 2025•31 min
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’ (2...
May 29, 2025•35 min
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 wi...
May 27, 2025•37 min
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 tho...
May 23, 2025•37 min
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, ‘W...
May 23, 2025•33 min
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...
May 21, 2025•36 min
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,...
May 19, 2025•33 min
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 o...
May 16, 2025•33 min
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 tha...
May 15, 2025•40 min
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...
May 12, 2025•34 min
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 Hear...
May 08, 2025•52 min
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 ...
May 07, 2025•33 min
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 Hea...
May 05, 2025•34 min
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! [email protected] Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Casey Bloys Producers: Cr...
Apr 30, 2025•31 min
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 percen...
Apr 30, 2025•35 min
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 ...
Apr 28, 2025•33 min
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 bo...
Apr 24, 2025•34 min
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 ...
Apr 23, 2025•33 min
