Mailbag! 'Star Wars' and Soderbergh, the Best Home for Warner Bros., and Netflix vs. Theaters.
Matt opens up the mailbag for another Town Hall and answers listener questions about Disney turning down a Steven Soderbergh–penned 'Star Wars' script, the possibility of Netflix and Comcast splitting Warner Bros. Discovery, whether Netflix will ever release movies in theaters, who the best home for Warner Bros. is from the perspective of the talent community, and what will happen to 'The Challenge' and other MTV properties under David Ellison. 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 Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5 Nov 31min
The 2025 Movie Franchise Draft
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@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
3 Nov 41min
Will Big Tech and AI Save or Kill Hollywood?
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 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: Andrew Ross Sorkin Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 Okt 35min
The Risks and Rewards of Self-Distributing Movies, With Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman
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 discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Teddy Schwarzman Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 Okt 32min
Savvy or Desperate? NBCU Poaches Taylor Sheridan From Paramount.
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 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
27 Okt 32min
Do Standing Ovations at Film Festivals Mean Anything? The Town Investigates.
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 Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Stephen Follows Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
23 Okt 35min
Warner Bros. Is Officially for Sale. It's Paramount vs. ... Whom?
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 ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Peter Supino Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
22 Okt 36min
Netflix Adds Podcasts and Makes a Deal With AMC Theatres. Why?
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 beginning of a new era for Netflix and theatrical releases (03:01). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Formula One rights moving to Apple TV (27:34). 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
20 Okt 35min
