Disney’s Prickly Theme Parks Problem

Matt is joined by ‘SNL’ expert, author, and journalist James Andrew Miller to assess the state of ‘SNL’ and go through some lightning-round questions about the current season, the 50th anniversary show, upcoming ‘SNL’ documentaries, and the movie ‘Saturday Night’ (02:25). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Smile 2’ (30:26). 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: James Andrew Miller Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Okt 202436min

Matt is joined by Cineverse CEO Chris McGurk to talk about the rise of independently financed horror movies and how to turn a low-budget film into a bona fide hit. They talk about the indie horror marketing playbook and whether the recent boom in low-budget horror is a fluke or a trend (02:28). Later, Matt makes a prediction about the future of Legendary Pictures (23:08). 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: Chris McGurk Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Okt 202432min

Live from Bloomberg’s Screentime event in Los Angeles, Matt and Lucas Shaw make their case for buying the dip or selling high on some of the biggest entities across Hollywood. Topics include Travis Kelce’s media career, Amazon Prime Video, Todd Phillips, K-pop, Jennifer Lopez’s movie career, sports docs, Lionsgate, and much 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 Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Okt 202434min

Matt is joined by Fergus Navaratnam-Blair from National Research Group to discuss the evolution of male characters on-screen in Hollywood and what the next generation wants to see from male archetypes. Fergus explains who young men currently look up to the most in 2024 and how these role models have shifted over the years. They discuss the more fictionalized characters and superheroes in popular culture, how Hollywood sells masculinity to young men, and whether there is a market opportunity for storytellers to make new male characters that resonate with the next generation (02:40). Matt finishes the show with a trifecta of opening weekend box office predictions for ‘Terrifier 3,’ ‘Saturday Night,’ and ‘The Apprentice’ (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: Fergus Navaratnam-Blair Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Okt 202432min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ flop and its ramifications for Warner Bros. Discovery and the DC Universe before getting into the latest shakeup at Sony Pictures, where CEO Tony Vinciquerra has stepped down and is being replaced by COO Ravi Ahuja. They talk about the state of Sony Pictures, why it never entered the Streaming Wars and instead opted to sell its content to other companies, how its balance sheet looks compared to other studios, its lack of major franchises, and how it’s positioned moving forward (03:01). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ director Todd Phillips’s next movie (25:16). 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

7 Okt 202432min

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

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

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