The Town with Matthew Belloni

Matt is joined by R.J. Cutler, director of the Netflix documentary ‘Martha,’ as well as the upcoming film ‘Elton John: Never Too Late,’ to talk about Martha Stewart’s disapproval of the film, directors maintaining creative control over their projects, and the inherent and necessary struggle of collaborating with a major celebrity on a documentary (02:17). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the new Christmas movie ‘Red One’ (25:57). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: R.J. Cutler Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the latest Warner Bros. Discovery earnings and if streaming has finally turned a corner in becoming a viable business (02:53). Then they dig into Netflix recently granting Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia movie IMAX theaters and if this marks the beginning of a new trend for Netflix (13:22). Finally, they get into why a seemingly great Clint Eastwood movie, 'Juror #2' has been buried by its studio, Warner Bros. Discovery (20:19). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of the ‘Mission Impossible’ franchise (26:21). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] 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

Matt is joined by Axios media reporter Sara Fischer to discuss the Hollywood business implications of the second Trump presidency. They get into the possibility for more M&A, specifically Warner Bros. Discovery and LIV-PGA, whether Trump will go after big tech, the future of TikTok in the United States, and the future of content moderation (02:31). Matt finishes the show with a prediction related to the latest announcement that a new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy is in the works (26:57). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Sara Fischer Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by John Mass, president of Content Partners, to talk about how making money in TV has changed in the last 10 to 15 years. John walks us through how a TV show is financed, how the market has changed because of the streaming model, and how it has upended the way participants make money. They also talk about the bygone days of producers owning shows, the heyday of the syndication era, and if a correction is coming (02:29). Matt finishes the episode with a prediction about the upcoming battle between ‘Wicked: Part One’ and ‘Gladiator 2’ (34:38). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Mass Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Comcast's exploration of spinning off its cable assets into a separate company, which could potentially mark the wider restructuring of its NBCUniversal division. They talk about how legacy media companies are struggling with how to handle their linear television business, what a division of assets might look like for Comcast, and whether a streaming partner makes sense for NBC and Peacock (02:43). Matt finishes the show with a ratings prediction for the 2024 presidential election (26:05). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! [email protected] 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