Burning Questions for the Most Uncertain Oscar Race in Years
Matt is joined by New York Times awards season reporter Kyle Buchanan to preview the 2024-25 Oscar race now that the table is mostly set. Kyle sets the table for a fascinating Oscar season—one without a clear front-runner like ‘Oppenheimer’ was last year—and highlights the biggest narratives that have emerged, including the movies with the strongest momentum, early 2024 films that could make a last-second surge, and other burning questions (02:09). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the MLB playoffs (28:28). 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: Kyle Buchanan Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4 Okt 202434min
The End of the $20M TV Host Era
Matt is joined by Puck’s Dylan Byers to discuss the economic realignment that is coming to television and the beginning of the end of the on-air star system in television. They talk about Hoda Kotb’s exit from ‘The Today Show,’ the outsized contracts for news TV hosts, how much these hosts still move the needle for the business of TV news, how the on-air business of sports differs from TV news, and whether news can successfully transition to streaming (02:33). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ (25:49). 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: Dylan Byers Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2 Okt 202432min
How Should Movie and TV Stars Be Paid?
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how the way that actors make money in Hollywood is changing, pivoting from up-front buyouts to a more traditional model of back-end-contingent profit participation. They discuss which model makes the most sense in 2024 and beyond and how this might differ for talent and talent representation (03:47). Lucas sticks around to announce the results of the 2024 Concert Tour Draft from 'The Town' (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: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 Sep 202432min
Lionsgate, Meta, and a Wild Week in AI
Matt is joined by Justine Bateman—writer, director, producer, and SAG-AFTRA negotiation committee consultant on the use of AI— to check in on the latest developments on AI in entertainment. They discuss Lionsgate’s new deal with AI company Runway to make movies and shows more efficiently, Meta’s new deal with celebrities to voice a new AI chatbot, and whether other studios will follow suit (02:24). Matt finishes the show with two opening weekend box office predictions for 'Megalopolis' and the animated film ‘The Wild Robot’ (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: Justine Bateman Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27 Sep 202432min
How to Make Your Own TV Show (and Get Netflix to Buy It)
Matt is joined by actor, writer, producer, and director Mark Duplass to discuss the process of independently financing your own television show, as he did with his new show ‘Penelope’ on Netflix, and he makes the case for why more people should be doing this. Additionally, they talk about the biggest differences between the television and film business models, why indie film is so much more popular right now, and how the indie TV model could be lucrative for A-listers (02:19). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the season premiere of 'Saturday Night Live' (25:47). 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: Mark Duplass Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 Sep 202432min
Biggest Takeaways From Netflix’s New Data Dump
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s latest “data dump” revealing their most-viewed shows and movies over the first half of 2024. They parse the numbers and give their biggest takeaways from the data release, as well as look at the broader state of streamer transparency (02:49). 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: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
23 Sep 202431min
The War Over the Secret Nine-Hour Prince Documentary
Matt is joined by Sasha Weiss, deputy editor at New York Times, to talk about the battle over the nine-hour multipart Prince documentary helmed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman (‘O.J.: Made in America’) that is at risk of never releasing. They dive into Sasha’s latest reporting, which revealed how this project was stranded after a surprising objection from the late music icon’s dueling estates that the film is too long. They talk about Netflix’s role in this battle, what the doc reveals about Prince, and whether there is more to this story (2:26). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the viewership numbers for the next six months on Netflix (26:53). 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: Sasha Weiss Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
20 Sep 202435min
The Screenwriter Struggle and How to Break Through
Matt is joined by The Black List founder Franklin Leonard to dig into the state of screenwriting in Hollywood and how the landscape has changed over the past five years and since the strike. They discuss the decline in research and development on the studio level, how this has affected aspiring writers, if there is room for optimism, and if it's still possible to break through (2:25). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the movie ‘Transformers One’ (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: Franklin Leonard Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
18 Sep 202432min
