The Town with Matthew Belloni
by The Ringer
Latest episode
Bill Hader on Directing vs. Performing, Leaving ‘SNL,’ and Stefon…
Bill Hader on Directing vs. Performing, Leaving ‘SNL,’ and Stefon…
About this podcast
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.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 695 episodes
- Bill Hader on Directing vs. Performing, Leaving ‘SNL,’ and Stefon the Movie · 46 minLive from UCLA, Matt is joined by actor, writer, and director Bill Hader to discuss his upcoming feature film directorial debut, ‘They Know’; why he made the movie independently…
- Hollywood’s Midterm Election Aftermath and James Gunn Out at DC · 37 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how the sweeping election results will affect the entertainment business at the local and federal levels, including if a…
- Jason Blum on Film School vs. YouTube, Curry’s Next Movie, and the Fallout From Admitting Failure · 34 minLive from New York, Matt is joined by producer Jason Blum to discuss the explosion of young talent in the horror space; how YouTube has changed the path to success for young…
- Should Netflix Stop Trying to Be YouTube? · 40 minMatt is joined by Puck’s Julia Alexander to discuss why Netflix should stop trying to compete with YouTube, the real numbers behind their competition, why YouTube’s engagement…
- The 2026 Hollywood Executive Power Ranking · 35 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to revisit their executive power poll and determine the new top players in Hollywood (01:45). Lucas sticks around for The Call Sheet for…
- Zach Cregger on Comedy and Horror, Swearing Off IP, Pitching J-Law, and Handling Hollywood Power · 38 minThe Town College Film School is back with a visit to LMU, where Matt sits down with filmmaker Zach Cregger ('Barbarian’, ‘Weapons’, ‘Resident Evil') to discuss his transition…
- Chuck Lorre on Surviving Sitcoms, Difficult Stars, Replacing Sheen, and Ghosting Scientology · 39 minMatt is joined by legendary showrunner Chuck Lorre to discuss his new memoir ‘Sitcom’, the heyday of network television, the decline of the general sitcom and if it can be…
- Elon’s Skydance Bet, Netflix’s New Rival, and the YouTube Problem · 36 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Elon Musk invested $1 billion in the new Skydance mega studio, if the new Hollywood superpower is a threat to Netflix, and…
- Lord and Miller on ‘Project Hail Mary’ Secrets, Losing ‘Solo’, and Good Studio Execs · 47 minThe Town College Film School is back with a visit to USC, where Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw are joined by writers-producers-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller ('Project…
- Why You Don’t Need a Major Studio to Release Your Movie Anymore · 38 minMatt is joined by Jason Brenek, CEO of Fathom Entertainment, to discuss why the creators of the new big-budget animated film 'Wildwood’ are bypassing a traditional studio to…
- What Netflix's Exec Purge Means for Its Movies and TV · 37 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the big executive shakeup at Netflix, which included the firings of chief content officer Bela Bajaria and head of film Dan…
- Bring Back Fin-Syn? The Forgotten Rule That Could Save Hollywood · 37 minMatt is joined by head of business affairs at UTA Rich Shuter and producer Cathy Schulman to discuss why the government needs to reinstate the Fin-Syn rules (Financial Interest…
- Five Narratives That Could Swing the 2026 Awards Season · 38 minMatt is joined by Kyle Buchanan, former New York Times journalist and host of The Kyle Buchanan Show, to discuss the biggest narratives heading into awards season this year. They…
- The Six Toughest Decisions David Ellison Faces With WarnerMount · 35 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look ahead at what WarnerMount will look like now that the merger is likely to go through. They discuss the biggest questions…
- Danny Boyle on Depicting Murdoch, AI, Bond, and ‘28 Years Later’ · 58 minLive from the BFI London Film Festival, Matt is joined by director Danny Boyle to talk about his new film, ‘Ink’, depicting Rupert Murdoch, his influence on news and journalism…
- Welcome to Skydance! Movies, TV ... and Massive Debt · 41 minMatt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to discuss the complicated financials behind Hollywood's new media behemoth, Skydance, how the company will be heavily…
- The Hollywood Stock Market: Johnny Depp, Curry Barker, Spielberg, MrBeast, and More! · 42 minLive from Bloomberg’s Screentime event in Hollywood, Matt and Lucas Shaw make the case to buy or sell various entities across the entertainment industry, including Johnny Depp…
- Why Every Agency Wants a Piece of the Creator Economy · 39 minMatt is joined by Saul Goldberg, producer, investor, and former agent, to discuss how the creator economy has taken on a new importance in Hollywood, and how traditional…
- The Ari Emanuel Experience · 52 minMatt is joined by Ari Emanuel—executive chair and CEO of TKO, executive chair of WME Group, and founder and principal investor of Mari—to discuss his new memoir, 'Roll the…
- Dissecting the Bill That Could Transform Hollywood, With Its Co-Author · 37 minMatt is joined by California Congresswoman Laura Friedman to discuss the new bipartisan federal tax incentive bill she helped author that was just introduced today in both houses…
- Jeffrey Katzenberg on Why Hollywood Must Embrace AI · 41 minMatt is joined by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Jeffrey’s latest essay insisting that Hollywood embrace AI, similarities to CGI animation in the '90s…
- Emergency Pod: Paramount Settles—and Bonta Caves · 31 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss Paramount settling its lawsuit with a group of states led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, paving the way for…
- Tom Cruise and the New Age of Celebrity Profiles · 40 minMatt is joined by Zach Baron, GQ's senior special projects editor and host of new show ‘One More Question,’ to discuss the modern celebrity press tour, the art of celebrity…
- 2026 Emmys Instant Reactions: Is Apple Really the New HBO? What Happened to Netflix? · 38 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap the 2026 Emmys and give their takes on the biggest narratives coming ou)t of the show, including Apple’s big night with 'Widow’s…
- How to Run a Specialty Studio in 2026, with Searchlight President · 49 minLive from TIFF, Matt is joined by the president of Searchlight Pictures, Matthew Greenfield along with Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how to run a specialty film division in…
- ‘Resident Evil’ and the Tightrope of Relaunching Old IP · 36 minMatt is joined by Oliver Berben, CEO of Constantin Film, to discuss the upcoming ‘Resident Evil’ film, how Zach Cregger got involved, how Constantin gained control of the IP, the…
- Four Big Stories: Emmys ’26, Summer Box Office Pushback, Fed Tax Credit Odds, and ‘60 Minutes’ 2.0 · 37 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss a slew of topics from around town, including the biggest narratives around this year's Emmy Awards, a new report offering…
- The 2026 Summer Box Office Winners, Losers, and Head-Scratchers · 50 minMatt 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 2026…
- Did Donald Trump Just Save Filmmaking in America? · 36 minMatt is joined by Film USA cofounders Tony Armer and Katie Pryor to discuss President Trump’s public endorsement of a federal tax credit for film production in the United States…
- The Five Biggest Hollywood Storylines for the Rest of 2026 · 37 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to examine the biggest industry narratives heading into the final stretch of the year. Can Netflix break its slump? How much will Netflix…
- Disney's Biggest Swings and Misses, Plus Iger vs. Eisner—With the Acquired Guys · 42 minMatt is joined by the hosts of the Acquired podcast, Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, to discuss their two-part series on the history of The Walt Disney Company; what surprised…
- America vs. the U.K.: Who Makes Better TV Shows? · 47 minLive from the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Matt is joined by veteran TV execs Patrick Holland, Jane Root, and Dimitri Doganis to discuss why the U.K. is so good…
- The WarnerMount PR War and the 'Dune 3' Ticket Crash · 32 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Rob Bonta canceling the scheduled talks between Paramount and California over the Warner Bros. merger, the strategy behind…
- Mailbag! Marvel’s Future, Johnny Depp’s Comeback, L.A.’s Recession, and Awkward Celeb Interactions. · 39 min(00:00) Matt opens up the summer mailbag to answer listener questions about Marvel’s future after 'Avengers: Doomsday,' the X-Men casting, Netflix’s need to lure big filmmakers…
- The Business Secrets Behind the ‘Love Island’ Juggernaut · 36 minMatt is joined by David George, the CEO of ITV America, to dive into the massive success of 'Love Island,' how it became one of the biggest brands in unscripted TV, why they sold…
- What Will It Take to End the Paramount–Warner Bros. Standoff? · 40 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Paramount’s threat to leave California if it doesn’t get a settlement, the discourse’s effect on David Ellison’s ability to…
- Where Have All the Action Heroes Gone? With 'John Wick' Producer Basil Iwanyk · 38 minMatt is joined by producer Basil Iwanyk (John Wick, The Town, Sicario, The Expendables) to discuss the struggling state of the action movie market in America, why most studios…
- Why Can’t We Build More IMAX Theaters? With CEO Rich Gelfond · 40 minMatt is joined by IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond to discuss the massive summer at the box office, 'The Odyssey' being the highest grossing IMAX movie of all time, IMAX being openly for…
- Fox Stands Up to the NFL, a Big Change to TV Ownership, and Ellison Commits to 30 Movies · 37 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Fox is refusing to renegotiate their media rights deal with the NFL until their current deal expires after the 2029…
- The Case for Disney Exiting the Streaming Wars · 31 minMatt is joined by Wells Fargo analyst Steven Cahall to make the case for why Disney should exit the streaming business and focus only on producing and licensing its content…
- Can the Paramount-WBD Merger Survive a Trial, Midterms, and a $650 Million Clock? · 37 minMatt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to discuss the March 2027 trial date that has been set for the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery antitrust case and what it means for the…
- Why Spider-Man Broke Records, and Why Peacock Partnered With YouTube · 38 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to catch up with the biggest news around town, including a record-breaking opening weekend for 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' WarnerMount…
- The Future Blockbusters Draft, Part 2 · 32 minMatt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw finish The Town’s first Future Blockbusters Draft by filling the remaining five slots on their teams (01:12). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas…
- The Future Blockbusters Draft: The Directors, Actors, and IP That Will Define the Next Decade · 34 minMatt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw put on their studio chief hats and conduct the first Future Blockbusters Draft. In Part 1, they draft five elements (director, actor, or IP) they…
- The Surprising Winners of the AI-Enabled Entertainment Economy · 37 minMatt is joined by Sean Diffley, head of media and entertainment as well as cable and telecom research at Morgan Stanley to discuss a new system for stock picking called the MS…
- Is Netflix Hurting YouTube by Poaching Talent? · 36 minMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to debate whether Netflix or YouTube is winning the battle to dominate Hollywood. They move through the pros and cons of each platform…
- Paramount's Strategy to Beat California, With Its Top Lawyer · 45 minMatt is joined by Makan Delrahim, chief legal officer at Paramount, who argues his case in favor of Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He explains what they are…
- The Numbers That Have Netflix Investors Spooked · 34 min(00:00) Matt is joined by Guggenheim Senior Managing Director Michael Morris to discuss Netflix’s latest data dump and quarterly earnings report and assess why the market has…
- The Data Scientists Quietly Powering Hollywood’s Greenlight Machine · 37 minMatt is joined by professor Violaine Roussel, a professor of sociology at Paris 8 University, to discuss her new book 'Data Driven Hollywood: The New Data Professionals in the…
- The Case Against WarnerMount, with CA Attorney General Rob Bonta · 41 minMatt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw are joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta to discuss California’s new lawsuit to block Paramount Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros…
