Part 2: James Cameron on ‘Avatar 4’ and ‘5,’ Movie Biz Fears, 3D, Netflix, and Aliens

Matt is joined by theme park journalist Scott Gustin as they discuss all the latest news surrounding the Disney parks, as well as Universal Studios. They dive into the changes made by former CEO Bob Chapek when the parks reopened during the pandemic, why the immersive Galactic Star Cruiser (a.k.a. the 'Star Wars' hotel and experience) is shutting down, how the international Disney parks are doing, the success Universal has had with the Super Mario IP, and more. Matt finishes the show by making a prediction on holiday box office numbers for ‘The Little Mermaid.' 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 Gustin Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

25 Maj 202331min

Matt is joined by Ronald Gladden, the star of Amazon Freevee’s new hit series ‘Jury Duty,’ as well as the director of the show, Jake Szymanski. They go through the process of creating the show, how Jake managed to direct the actors on set without breaking the illusion, Ronald’s thoughts after learning it was all a show, whether this type of show could be replicated, and more. Matt finishes the show by making a prediction about the newly rebranded streaming service, ‘Max.’ 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: Ronald Gladden & Jake Szymanski Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Maj 202331min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to analyze this year’s TV upfront presentations. They discuss Netflix’s upfront debut and its advertisement strategy, how it felt watching the presentations in the middle of a writers strike, the Disney+ purge, and more. Lucas finishes the show by making a prediction on Peyton Manning’s company, Omaha Productions. 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

22 Maj 202332min

Matt is joined by Endeavor executive vice presidents Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin to discuss the potentially groundbreaking TV deal they brokered for the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury: Moving forward, their games will be broadcast for free on over-the-air channels while also available to stream online on a direct-to-consumer service. They discuss how this deal affects the viewer and why it makes sense in the new age of sports media, what ESPN will look like as a streaming channel, and the reasoning behind the latest Big 10 and Big 12 media rights deals. 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: Hillary Mandel and Karen Brodkin Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

19 Maj 202332min

Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal reporter Erich Schwartzel to discuss the current state of Hollywood’s relationship with China and how the Chinese government feels about Hollywood releases. Erich breaks down how China’s movie infrastructure has changed over the years, how the Chinese box office affects which movies get made in America, the precarious projections of ‘Fast X’ in China, TikTok’s success, Shanghai Disneyland, 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 Guest: Erich Schwartzel Producer: Craig Horlbeck  Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

17 Maj 202332min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to check in on Bob Iger six months after his return to Disney, to see what’s working and what isn’t. They discuss Disney’s decrease in subscriber numbers and subsequent stock decline, bringing Hulu into Disney+, his lack of a succession plan, and the still uncertain future of the streaming model. 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 Producer: Craig Horlbeck Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

15 Maj 202332min

Matt is joined by writer, producer, and showrunner Mike Schur ('Parks and Recreation,' 'The Good Place,' 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'), to discuss the life of the modern TV writer and how it has changed over the years. Mike brings his perspective on the ongoing writers strike and discusses how his experience as a writer was very different from that of an up-and-coming writer in 2023. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming movie ‘Book Club 2.’ 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: Mike Schur Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

11 Maj 202332min

Matt is joined by journalist and cofounder of Semafor, Ben Smith, to talk about his new book ‘Traffic’ and the rise and fall of the biggest digital media companies of the past 15 years. Matt and Ben discuss their careers in digital media, look back on the media's transition to digital, the role of Hollywood in the evolution of media coverage, the role of Facebook and other social media platforms, and what’s next. Matt finishes the show by giving a prediction about the current writers strike. 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: Ben Smith Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Maj 202332min