Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to streaming wars. Multiple times each week, Matt is joined by major executives, dealmakers, and journalists, to discuss 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 Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to draft which movie franchises they would most want to start a movie studio with in 2025. They each select five franchises, as well as one TV franchise, and make the case for why they are best suited to succeed over the next 10-20 years. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here . Email us your thoughts! thetown@spoti...
Matt is joined by Andrew Ross Sorkin ('Squawk Box,' The New York Times) to discuss how the tech boom has affected Hollywood and what new power players like David Ellison really want with the media industry. They also discuss the potential impact of the AI bubble bursting, whether the Middle East will ever make a big splash in Hollywood, and whether there is a case for consolidation in media (02:11). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about horror movies on streaming (28:08). For a 20 perce...
Matt is joined by Teddy Schwarzman, the founder of Black Bear Pictures, to discuss the challenges and strategies behind an independent production company launching its own distribution division. They talk about the risk of making big bets on small movies in theaters, how the industry has evolved, and whether Teddy sees A24 and Neon as competitors (02:46). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Yorgos Lanthimos’s new film, ‘Bugonia’ (26:54). For a 20 percent disc...
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Matt’s report that Taylor Sheridan will be leaving Paramount to join NBCU starting in 2029. They break down the details of the deal, whether this should be considered savvy or desperate for NBCU and Peacock, how big of a risk this is, and whether this portends a larger splash coming from NBCU (02:40). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Jon Stewart and 'The Daily Show' (25:55). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollyw...
Matt is joined by film data analyst Stephen Follows to dig into one of Hollywood’s most ridiculous phenomenons, the film festival standing ovation. Stephen gathered over 500 reported standing ovations across five of the world’s biggest film festivals to see whether the length of applause tells us anything meaningful about a film’s future (02:26). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the 25 shows eligible for Best Podcast at the Golden Globes (25:53). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s...
Matt is joined by Peter Supino, a managing director and senior analyst at Wolfe Research, to unpack the deal market for Warner Bros. Discovery, running through each potential bidder, who makes the most sense, and what a merger would look like in each scenario (03:13). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’ (30:45). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ...
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix diving into the podcast business by striking a deal to stream a group of original podcasts from Spotify and The Ringer. They break down what this signals for the future of Netflix, the likelihood that people will watch podcasts on Netflix, and what’s in it for Spotify. Later, they touch on AMC and Netflix agreeing to rerelease ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ in theaters from October 31 through November 2, then dive into whether this marks the begi...
Matt is joined by Edward Saatchi, the CEO of a startup called Fable, to discuss his new product, Showrunner, which is backed by Amazon and bills itself as the “Netflix of AI.” The app allows users to create their own licensed versions of their favorite TV shows using AI. Edward explains why he feels this is the proper way to use AI in Hollywood, how the app will make money and pay artists, the guardrails to ensure this is used properly, and how Hollywood studios feel about this (02:39). Matt fin...
Matt is joined by Apple senior vice president of services Eddy Cue to discuss all things Apple in Hollywood, including the latest momentum for the studio after big hits like ‘Severance,’ ‘The Studio,’ and ‘F1’; the business model of the streaming service; whether the company would ever bolster its library by acquiring a studio; its interest in sports rights; its commitment to releasing movies theatrically; and whether Apple is serious about sticking around in Hollywood for the long term (03:44)....
Live from Bloomberg’s Screentime event in L.A., Matt and Lucas Shaw make the case to buy or sell various entities across the entertainment industry, including the Rock, Comcast, Louis C.K., the Sora 2 freak-out, Glen Powell, Marvel, and more! 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 Gue...
In Part 2 of Matt’s conversation with WME executive chairman and TKO CEO Ari Emanuel and TKO president Mark Shapiro, they discuss how the NFL's next rights negotiations will influence the entertainment industry, how the UFC ended up with Paramount and why it almost went to Netflix, and Ari’s relationship with the Rock, David Ellison, and Donald Trump (01:35). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here...
Matt is joined by WME and TKOs Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro to discuss their new company, Mari. They talk about why they are betting on live experiences, the possibility of the four-day work week changing the way we live, the state of the talent business, and how we should be thinking about AI in Hollywood (03:33). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the possibility of Netflix buying Warner Bros. (23:12). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hear...
Matt is joined by Semafor cofounder Ben Smith to discuss what to expect from CBS News in the David Ellison and Bari Weiss era. Ellison, the new owner of Paramount, has tasked 41-year-old Weiss to run its news division and also acquired her company The Free Press for $150 million. Matt and Ben talk about why David Ellison brought Weiss in, how she could influence CBS News, and what power a broadcast news brand even has in 2025 (03:32). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office pre...
Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw use the disappointing box office performance for A24’s sports drama ‘The Smashing Machine’ with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to examine the current state of A24, the difficulty of living up to its sky-high valuation, and the natural life cycle of a growing indie movie studio (03:04). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the new cast of 'SNL' (25:20). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ...
Matt is joined by SAG-AFTRA national executive director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland to discuss OpenAI’s new app, Sora 2, an AI video tool and video-sharing app, and the problems it presents for Hollywood. They discuss how this product can threaten the legitimacy of image and likeness rights and infringe on intellectual property and why Hollywood isn't suing OpenAI immediately. They dive into what is allowed to be used to train AI models vs. what is allowed to be posted on apps like Sora, the opt-in ...
This episode delves into the unexpected comeback of spec script sales in Hollywood, exploring why studios are increasingly buying original screenplays without attached talent. Guests discuss the shift from IP-driven movies and large package deals, attributing the change to successful original films, faster development cycles, and evolving audience preferences away from the superhero genre. The conversation also covers current buying trends, sales strategies, and box office predictions for upcoming films.
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 Unit...
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 Ba...
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 postponeme...
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 fo...
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 th...
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 ...
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 rec...
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 disc...
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 afte...
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 ...
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 fini...
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 (02:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here . Email us your tho...
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 Lope...
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 ...
