Podcast · 189 episodes
The Town with Matthew Belloni, page 4
by The Ringer · English
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.
All episodes, page 4
Are Movies Actually Getting Longer? We Found Out.Whether movies are actually getting longer, using runtime data and industry reasons; also touches on how studios market “event” films and how streaming measures engagement.3 Apr 2026 · 33 min · 17 chapters
Why Hollywood Needs Books More Than EverThe current “book-to-screen” adaptation boom—why Hollywood is buying books earlier, which genres/authors are hot, how option deals work, and what red flags authors should watch.1 Apr 2026 · 32 min · 16 chapters
Netflix’s Price Hike and Opening Day Debut. Plus, HBO's ‘Harry Potter’ and the Millennial Nostalgia Era.Netflix’s second price hike in about a year (ad-free standard +$2 to $20/month; ad-supported standard +$1 to $9; premium up to $28), how that pushes viewers toward ad tiers, and MLB’s “Opening Day”…30 Mar 2026 · 34 min · 15 chapters
Can D.C. Save Hollywood? Senator Adam Schiff on Bringing Production Home.Whether a federal film/TV tax credit can reverse Hollywood’s production flight from Los Angeles and how a Warner-Paramount merger could affect jobs and consumer prices.27 Mar 2026 · 36 min · 14 chapters
Sora Is Dead: What Does That Mean for Disney? Plus, ‘The Bachelorette’ Scandal.OpenAI shutting down Sora and what it means for Disney’s OpenAI partnership; Epic Games layoffs and Disney’s Fortnite integration plans; plus ABC’s The Bachelorette scandal involving Taylor Frankie…25 Mar 2026 · 31 min · 9 chapters
Gosling, MBJ, Timmy, and the Biggest Movie Stars Under 50 Power RankingThe Town ranks the biggest movie stars under 50 (2026 “butts-in-seats” power), debating who producers would bet on for theatrical draws.23 Mar 2026 · 34 min · 13 chapters
Secrets to Commercial Filmmaking With 'The Housemaid' Director Paul FeigHow Paul Feig’s “The Housemaid” became a low-budget theatrical hit, and what filmmakers can learn about making movies feel “theatrical” again.20 Mar 2026 · 36 min · 19 chapters
The NFL's Billion-Dollar Cash Grab and Whether There’s Any Left for Film and TVNFL media-rights renegotiations and how higher NFL costs could force “rebalancing” across sports and entertainment budgets, possibly affecting what’s left for film/TV.18 Mar 2026 · 33 min · 14 chapters
Oscars Winners and Losers, and Universal’s Pivot to Keep Movies in Theaters LongerThe Town episode covers two things: Oscars winners/losers and Hollywood’s “windowing” fight. Guests: Lucas Shaw (Bloomberg, film/entertainment reporter) joins hosts Matt Belony and Craig Horlbeck.16 Mar 2026 · 36 min · 11 chapters
How to De-Age the Oscars with Amelia DimoldenbergHow to “de-age” the Oscars to attract Gen Z/young millennials, using clip culture and YouTube-era strategy.13 Mar 2026 · 30 min · 12 chapters
Why the Biggest Oscar Party Is Cutting Its Guest List in HalfThe episode of The Town discusses how Vanity Fair’s Oscar week flagship party (the Vanity Fair party) is cutting its guest list by about half and moving venues.12 Mar 2026 · 32 min · 14 chapters
Oscars Preview! Timmy Trouble, a ‘Sinners’ Surge, and a Big Lead for 'One Battle'The Town’s Oscars preview focuses on the Best Picture showdown between One Battle and Sinners, plus the biggest acting and “could surprise” races.11 Mar 2026 · 37 min · 11 chapters
Why Netflix Bought Ben Affleck’s AI Company, and If Hollywood Should WorryNetflix’s acquisition of Ben Affleck’s AI startup Interpositive and what it signals for Hollywood, plus a separate discussion of the Live Nation/DOJ antitrust settlement.9 Mar 2026 · 32 min · 10 chapters
How to Chart a Career Path in Modern Hollywood, With Rachel SennottRachel Sennott discusses how to chart a modern Hollywood career across acting, writing, producing, and showrunning, using her path to HBO’s I Love LA as the main case study.6 Mar 2026 · 42 min · 13 chapters
Investor Gerry Cardinale on Why WarnerMount Will Work, Middle East Money, and LayoffsJerry Cardinale (Redbird Capital) explains the investment thesis and operating plan behind the Paramount Skydance takeover of Warner Bros.5 Mar 2026 · 41 min · 14 chapters
How David Ellison Plans to Mash Two Major Studios Into OneInvestor/analyst discussion of David Ellison’s planned Paramount + Warner Bros.3 Mar 2026 · 40 min · 20 chapters
Emergency Pod! Paramount Outbids Netflix and Wins Warner Bros.The episode (The Town) covers Paramount’s surprise win over Netflix in the Warner Bros. Discovery auction, with the Ellisons agreeing to a reported $111B deal.27 Feb 2026 · 35 min · 16 chapters
The Retro Innovation of ‘The Pitt,’ With Lead Producer John WellsHow HBO Max’s medical procedural The Pitt recreates 80s/90s prestige-TV scale in streaming—15-episode seasons, broadcast-style pacing, and cost efficiencies—while navigating LA production economics,…26 Feb 2026 · 34 min · 16 chapters
Part 2: Sony Film CEO on Marvel’s Decline and Hollywood’s Originality CrisisSony Film CEO Tom Rothman discusses Marvel’s recent box-office struggles, the future of the Spider-Man franchise (including a fresh reboot), movie-star value, theatrical vs streaming windows, and…24 Feb 2026 · 33 min · 14 chapters
Sony Film CEO on Losing ‘Sinners’ and the Endless Big Tech BattleSony Pictures’ film strategy and the “endless big tech battle” over windows/exclusivity, streaming economics, and why theatrical bars keep rising; also touches on Olympics ratings.23 Feb 2026 · 29 min · 9 chapters
Why the Former Sony Head Blames Himself for the Infamous HackMichael Linton, former Sony Pictures chairman/CEO, discusses his role in greenlighting The Interview (Seth Rogen/James Franco) and how he believes his “grave error” helped lead to the 2014 Sony hack…20 Feb 2026 · 33 min · 13 chapters
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos Makes the Case for Buying Warner Bros.Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos argues that Netflix should win Warner Bros.18 Feb 2026 · 42 min · 23 chapters
The Casey Wasserman Scandal, and Who Wants to Buy His AgencyThe episode centers on Casey Wasserman, head of the Wasserman Agency, announcing he will put the company up for sale after a reputational crisis tied to Jeffrey Epstein-related emails.17 Feb 2026 · 31 min · 9 chapters
Should Hollywood Take the Microdrama Boom Seriously?Whether Hollywood should take the microdrama boom seriously, and how DramaBox makes money with 90–180 second vertical episodes.12 Feb 2026 · 33 min · 19 chapters