Podcast · 189 episodes
The Town with Matthew Belloni, page 7
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 7
Apple's True Intentions in Hollywood—With Top Exec Eddy CueApple’s intentions in Hollywood and the strategy behind Apple TV (formerly Apple TV Plus): content spending, engagement/subscriber growth, theatrical releases, licensing vs.14 Oct 2025 · 42 min · 15 chapters
The Hollywood Stock Market: The Rock, Louis C.K., Kevin Feige, Sora 2, and More!A live “Hollywood Stock Exchange 2025” episode where hosts Matt Bellany and Lucas Shaw (from The Town) “buy low/sell high” on Hollywood/media/business trends, emphasizing business prospects rather…13 Oct 2025 · 33 min · 19 chapters
Part 2: What Ari Emanuel Talks About With Trump and the RockSports and entertainment rights economics, agency business, and major dealmaking—especially Ari Emanuel’s conversations with Donald Trump—plus a rapid-fire lightning round.10 Oct 2025 · 25 min · 10 chapters
Part 1 With Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro: AI, Live Events, and the Four-Day Work WeekThe episode (Part 1) is a conversation about Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro’s new company, Mari, and how they plan to capitalize on shifting work patterns (a move toward a four-day work week) and…9 Oct 2025 · 31 min · 10 chapters
David Ellison’s $150M Bet on Bari Weiss and a New-Look CBS NewsDavid Ellison’s $150M purchase of Bari Weiss to become editor-in-chief of CBS News, and what it signals for CBS/60 Minutes’ editorial direction, business prospects, and potential political…7 Oct 2025 · 32 min · 11 chapters
The 'Smashing Machine’ Bomb and A24’s Big-Budget BurdenThe episode analyzes A24’s shift from indie “brand” distribution to financing bigger, riskier, star-driven films, using The Smashing Machine’s box-office collapse as the case study.6 Oct 2025 · 32 min · 12 chapters
Sora 2, AI Actors, and How Hollywood Can Fight BackSora 2 (OpenAI’s updated video tool) and AI-generated “actors”/synthetic performers; how Hollywood and performers can respond to copyright and name-image-likeness (NIL) risks, including deepfakes and…2 Oct 2025 · 37 min · 20 chapters
The Return of the Spec Script—Is There Hope for Original Screenplays in Hollywood?The “return of the spec script” in Hollywood—why studios/streamers are buying more original screenplays again, how that differs from package deals, and what writers can do to spark bidding wars.1 Oct 2025 · 32 min · 19 chapters
One Box Office Battle After Another for PTABox-office performance and studio strategy around Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, plus Warner Bros.29 Sep 2025 · 32 min · 12 chapters
Where the Money Is Spent in Hollywood and How It's ChangingThe episode argues that Hollywood’s “content recession” is real for traditional entertainment budgets, but overall content spend across major media companies is still growing.26 Sep 2025 · 32 min · 10 chapters
Kimmel Is Back, But Disney vs. Trump Is Just BeginningThe episode discusses the return of Jimmy Kimmel Live after ABC affiliates (notably Nextstar and Sinclair-owned stations) refused to air it, and how the dispute may escalate between Disney, the FCC…25 Sep 2025 · 32 min · 12 chapters
Kimmel’s Return, Disney’s Decision, and Iger’s LegacyThe episode of The Town focuses on Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live after Disney suspended production, and what the decision reveals about Disney leadership and the FCC/media-politics…23 Sep 2025 · 34 min · 12 chapters
Jimmy Kimmel vs. the FCC: Can Disney Escape This Mess?The episode discusses the business and political fallout from Disney suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live after an FCC commissioner threatened action over Kimmel’s Monday monologue.18 Sep 2025 · 35 min · 11 chapters
Is the Rotten Tomatoes Formula Fresh or Rotten?Debate over whether Rotten Tomatoes’ “Tomatometer” and “Certified Fresh” system is trustworthy or “inflated/rotten,” and how movie criticism has changed in the social media era.17 Sep 2025 · 38 min · 13 chapters
David Ellison Bought Paramount. Now He Wants Warner Bros. Plus, the 2025 Emmys Recap.The Town episode focuses on whether David Ellison (Skydance/Oracle) will expand beyond Paramount by making a majority-cash bid for Warner Bros.16 Sep 2025 · 41 min · 13 chapters
The Emmys vs. the Audience: Which Shows People Actually WatchUsing Nielsen minutes-viewed data to compare Emmy-nominated shows’ US viewership, costs, and “efficiency,” and to assess which series gained the biggest audience boosts from Emmy nominations.12 Sep 2025 · 36 min · 17 chapters
The Murdoch Succession War is Over, and Fox Crowns its Next LeaderThe Murdoch family’s long-running succession dispute ends with a settlement that keeps Lachlan Murdoch in control of Fox, while Rupert’s other adult children (James, Elizabeth “Liz,” and Prudence…9 Sep 2025 · 34 min · 21 chapters
YouTube’s NFL Debut, A Surprise Box-Office Hit at the Sphere, and Warner Bros. Merger CandidatesThe Town covers (1) YouTube’s first NFL game on Friday (Chargers vs.8 Sep 2025 · 32 min · 9 chapters
Why Gen Alpha Prefers the Big Screen Over Their PhonesThe episode argues that Gen Alpha (kids born after 2010) may be a boost for movie theaters, not a threat.5 Sep 2025 · 32 min · 13 chapters
How To Save Movies With the CEO of AMC TheatresAMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron discusses how to keep movie theaters viable in the post-COVID era—focusing on release windows with streamers, theater economics (food/merch), and monetizing pre-show…1 Sep 2025 · 1 h · 18 chapters
The Summer Box Office Report Card: Surprise Hits, Big Flops, and Key TakeawaysThe Rewatchables/The Town episode “The Summer Box Office Report Card” reviews how the hosts’ 1–16 confidence rankings for summer 2025 movies matched actual box office results, concluding the summer…29 Aug 2025 · 43 min · 17 chapters
Venice, Sundance, and the New Film Festival HierarchyThe fall film festival “hierarchy” (Venice, Telluride, Toronto, Sundance) and what it means for independent film financing, distribution, and awards prospects; using Christine Vachon’s small indie…27 Aug 2025 · 32 min · 15 chapters
Why ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Is a Fascinating Hollywood ExperimentNetflix’s “K-pop Demon Hunters” becomes a box-office sensation despite being on Netflix for two months, raising questions about Netflix’s theater strategy, Hollywood’s “cultural moment” logic, and…25 Aug 2025 · 32 min · 16 chapters
‘The Traitors’ and How to Craft Hit Reality TV in 2025Stephen Lambert (Studio Lambert/All3Media) explains how to craft successful reality competition TV, focusing on The Traitors’ casting psychology, format differences (UK vs US), and the current…22 Aug 2025 · 45 min · 22 chapters