Claim OwnershipThe Town with Matthew Belloni
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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.
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2Matt is joined by film producer Todd Garner to discuss if movies are actually getting longer. Todd provides a study of over 3,600 films from 1980-2025 to reveal which genres have gotten longer over the years, and by how much. They discuss a surprising trend among action films, why auteur-driven films are getting longer, and the increase in the percentage of movies over two and a half hours. Todd provides his expertise as an experienced producer and executive in Hollywood to help outline what the movie length discussions are like among studios, how they differ from streamers, and if this is a problem for movie theaters (2:42). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for A24’s new film ‘The Drama’ (27:10).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt Pevic
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
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Matt is joined by Jason Richman, UTA partner and cohead of media rights, to talk about the recent success of high-profile book adaptations at the box office ('Project Hail Mary,' 'Wuthering Heights,' 'The Housemaid'), why the long-standing Hollywood strategy of adapting books into films went away and is now back, the rise of female-focused authors, why this is leading to more power for book rights holders, what genres are most popular, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ (27:23).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Jason Richman
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss why Netflix has raised its prices twice in the past 18 months and the growing prominence of ad tiers on streaming services. They also talk about Opening Day baseball airing on Netflix, the surging MLB ratings, and who might be the biggest buyer for baseball rights in 2028 (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the new HBO 'Harry Potter' series (25:20).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
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Matt is joined by United States Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) to discuss his recent hearing with entertainment industry and labor leaders on the challenges facing the film industry and the importance of instituting a federal tax incentive to bring film and TV production back to California. They talk about how the production slowdown has hurt the city of Los Angeles, why California is not as aggressive in offering tax incentives as other states and countries, and what the federal tax credit would entail. They discuss where Schiff stands on the Warner Bros.–Paramount merger, the Los Angeles mayoral race, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the venue of the Academy Awards moving from Hollywood to downtown L.A. in 2029 (29:31).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Adam Schiff
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
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Matt is joined by Alex Heath from the Sources newsletter and Access podcast to discuss the end of Disney’s deal with OpenAI after they announced the shutdown of video app Sora. They get into why OpenAI is changing course, AI companies' relationship with Hollywood, and what this means for Disney. They also discuss the massive layoffs at Epic Games and how this move affects Disney's future as a major investor in the video game company (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of the 'Bachelor' franchise after the Taylor Frankie Paul scandal (22:49).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Alex Heath
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the massive weekend at the box office for ‘Project Hail Mary’ and use this as an opportunity to revisit the movie star power ranking. They sourced producers and executives around town and created their ranking of movie stars they believe are the biggest box office draw in Hollywood (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the premiere of new Yellowstone sequel ‘Dutton Ranch’ (28:49).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
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Matt is joined by director and writer Paul Feig ('A Simple Favor,' 'Bridesmaids,' 'Spy') to discuss his latest movie, ‘The Housemaid.’ They dive into why he thinks the movie was so successful, what’s behind his high career hit rate, his unique process (including why he loves test screenings), and the keys to commercial success (00:00). Matt finishes the show by answering an industry-related question from Craig (28:29).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Paul Feig
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com
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Matt is joined by CNBC sports and media reporter Alex Sherman to discuss the NFL reopening its rights deal with Paramount and CBS, why it did this, and how this could affect the broader sports and entertainment landscape moving forward (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Project Hail Mary’ (28:59).
Hosts: Matt Belloni
Guest: Alex Sherman
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap last night’s Academy Awards, including what the show was like from inside the theater, and give their biggest winners and losers of the night (00:00). Then they discuss Universal Studios guaranteeing theaters a minimum of five weekends of exclusive play for new movies starting immediately, and eventually moving to seven weekends starting in 2027 (19:39). Matt finishes the show with more takeaways from the Oscars and recaps his best and worst picks (27:26).
Hosts: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series now streaming - only on Paramount+
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Matt is joined by host, producer and writer Amelia Dimoldenberg to preview this year's Oscars red carpet as the official Academy Awards Red Carpet Correspondent, how she prepares to interview A list stars, and the Oscars moving to YouTube in 2029. They talk about the business behind her popular YouTube show ‘Chicken Shop Date’, her new romantic comedy, and more (24:41).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Amelia Dimoldenberg
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
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Matt is joined by Mark Guiducci, the new global editorial director of Vanity Fair, to talk about his plan for a new and improved Oscar party and why he is downsizing the event and cutting the guest list by 50 percent. Mark talks about the evolution of the party since it started 31 years ago, how he plans to revitalize the party, moving to a new venue, how the world of magazines has changed, and the evolution of magazine journalism (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction for the ratings for this year's Academy Awards (26:21).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Mark Guiducci
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com
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Matt is joined by Mosaic talent manager and Oscars insider Michael Lasker to preview the 2026 Academy Awards. They parse the biggest narratives Hollywood will be watching closely, like Timothée Chalamet’s latest slide in the Best Actor category, whether the late-season surge for ‘Sinners’ should be taken seriously, if the big lead for 'One Battle After Another' is shrinking, and other races that could surprise you on Sunday night (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Paramount president Jeff Shell (30:09).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Michael Lasker
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s acquisition of InterPositive, Ben Affleck’s AI-powered filmmaking tool company, the messaging around the deal, and what this says about Netflix’s future involvement in the AI space (00:00). They also discuss the Live Nation settlement with the DOJ (00:00) before ending the show with a 2026 Box Office Draft bomb re-selection for Lucas (24:16).
Hosts: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
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Live from Chapman University, Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw sit down with the star and showrunner of HBO’s ‘I Love LA,’ Rachel Sennott, to talk about how to chart a career path in modern Hollywood, how she pitched and sold ‘I Love LA’, making TV for a younger audience, and what it’s like being a first-time showrunner.
Hosts: Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw
Guest: Rachel Sennott
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
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Matt is joined by Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner at RedBird Capital, the private equity fund backing Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, to answer some questions about what WarnerMount will look like, including if they plan to sell off one or both of the Paramount and Warner Bros. lots, why cost cuts won’t lead to layoffs, details around possible Middle East investment, and why this mega deal is good for Hollywood (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Hoppers’ and ‘The Bride!’ (34:02).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Gerry Cardinale
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jon Jones, Stefano Sanchez, and Carlos Chiriboga
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE.
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Matt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to discuss how David Ellison plans to merge Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, how much the cost cutting and consolidation will affect the industry, what will happen to HBO Max, and what success even looks like for this new company in the long term (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the new name of the soon-to-be-combined HBO Max and Paramount+ services (33:47).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Rich Greenfield
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
The Clyburn family searches for connection in Montana's Madison Valley. The Madison, New Series streaming March 14th - only on Paramount+.
ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE.
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Emergency episode! Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to react to Netflix pulling out of the Warner Bros sweepstakes after Paramount raised its bid to $31 per share, bringing the overall offer to $111B. They break down why this happened, why Netflix abruptly backed out, if this deal will close, what this means for Hollywood, how powerful the new Ellison mega platform can be, and what comes next.
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
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Matt is joined by John Wells, executive producer of ‘The Pitt,’ to discuss how ‘The Pitt’ is reviving an old model of television and why it is considered innovative in 2026. John talks about how the show is made, the benefits of filming in Los Angeles, and whether streaming TV is going back to the broadcast model (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Scream 7’ (28:30).
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: John Wells
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
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Live from the American Film Institute, Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and the CEO of Sony Film Tom Rothman to discuss the future of the Spider Man franchise, Marvel’s recent struggles, if movie stars should make movies for streamers, and the biggest crisis facing the movie industry right now. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about who will be cast as the next James Bond.
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw, Tom Rothman
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
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Live from the American Film Institute, Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and the CEO of Sony Film, Tom Rothman, to discuss why now is the fifth moment of crisis in the history of the movie industry, how large-scale tech companies have disrupted Hollywood, reasons for optimism, legacy studios vs. streamers, and the future of the 'Spider-Man' franchise.
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw, Tom Rothman
Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
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🫠🙃😁 terrible woman
hilarious these host calls fox a propaganda channel but seems to think cnn is pure and balanced. 🫠🤣
This episode dives deep into James Cameron’s filmmaking philosophy, highlighting his pioneering use of performance capture to preserve authentic human emotion compared to traditional CGI. https://www.ez-passnc.com
ungrateful spoilt kids.
Fun episode
Great episode.
too much "snark" Matt.
this Marketing guy had very little to do with this film obviously. please get the head of Marvel's marketing department. besides towing the line he couldn't answer most of your questions. He also failed to grasp new marketing which starts more then a year out.
Lol, "the show has always played down the middle." Delusional take.