Hollywood talk with the machinery exposed.
The gist
The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood treats movies as both art and industry. Sonny Bunch moves from studio mergers and independent film economics to screenwriting, production stories, gambling culture, horror, and ambitious cinema.
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About The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood
The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood is a film-world interview show with a practical eye and a conversational rhythm. Sonny Bunch, culture editor at The Bulwark, talks with people close to the work: screenwriters, producers, directors, authors, journalists, actors, and advocates. The subject is Hollywood, but not just celebrity Hollywood. The show is more interested in how films are financed, shaped, released, marketed, preserved, and fought over. A two-part episode on a possible Warner Brothers and Paramount merger frames studio consolidation as a threat not only to blockbusters but also to independent film’s operating room. Ted Hope brings history from the independent-film world, while John Reese and Jax DeLuca connect the merger fight to current advocacy. Other episodes move closer to craft. Ed Solomon’s conversation about The Christophers centers on a Steven Soderbergh prompt, the surprise of the writing process, and the search for emotionally authentic art. Steve Starkey’s Forrest Gump book opens up a career threaded through major movies that defined childhood and young-adult moviegoing for many viewers. Kevin Goetz brings the audience side of the business into focus through How to Score in Hollywood and the work of Screen Engine ASI. The show also makes room for broader culture. McKay Coppins discusses sports betting and gambling as an American-life story, not merely a sports story. David Streitfeld’s Larry McMurtry episode follows a writer who could be contrarian, prolific, and allergic to easy boosterism. Rod Blackhurst and Ethan Supley’s Dolly conversation gets into independent horror, career recalibration, and the challenge of making original work with limited resources. Oliver Lashie’s Sirāt episode turns from theatrical intensity to politics, wounds, community, and fragile people moving through a collapsing old order. The show is loose enough for asides and jokes, but its best moments are grounded in industry mechanics. It treats movies as finished artworks and as complicated labor. That balance gives the conversations weight without making them stiff.
Made for: For film fans who care about the business, craft, politics, and production history behind what reaches theaters and screens. It especially suits listeners who like interviews with working insiders rather than recap chatter.
What sets it apart: The show connects movie culture to distribution, audience research, consolidation, independent-film economics, and the practical pressures of making work. Its conversations are casual, but the questions keep returning to how Hollywood actually functions.
As heard by us
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Sonny Bunch connects filmmaking choices to the business pressures, resources and working relationships that shape what reaches the screen.
Sonny Bunch treats Hollywood as both an art form and a working industry. His interviews move from studio consolidation and independent distribution to the practical choices behind acting, directing and screenwriting.
Why you'd press play
Sonny Bunch makes Hollywood explain itself before you buy the dream factory's sales pitch.
Press play if you want
- the business consequences behind a studio merger, not another helping of red-carpet gossip
- filmmakers and actors explaining how an original movie survives ambition, budgets, and stubborn persistence
Talks about
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Episodes
- 1
'Andor' and the Accelerationist Moment
·47m - 2
The Cross-Country Making of 'Forrest Gump'
·54m - 3
Hollywood Imagery's Impact on Politics
·44m - 4
Bringing Memories of 'Warfare' to Life
·31m - 5
Dystopian Mediocrity
·35m - 6
The Low Culture That Brought Us to Trump
·36m - 7
The 2000 Election That Changed America (with Jonathan Gruber)
·19m - 8
How to Build Your Own Movie Library
·38m - 9
The 2025 Stunt Awards!
·39m - 10
How to Help Veterans Returning Home
·43m - 11
How America Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Gambling
·51m - 12
Can Every Movie Make Money?
·57m - 13
Larry McMurtry: Man of the West
·52m - 14
Ethan Suplee and the Challenge of Getting Nasty
·59m - 15
'Sirāt' and Finding Community in the End of the World
·34m - 16
How Three Friends Saved, and Destroyed, Hollywood
·38m - 17
Oscar-Nominated Doc Exposes Alabama's Brutal Prisons
·54m - 18
Read All About 'The Late, Great Hannibal Lecter'
·48m - 19
'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' Screenwriter on Our Desolate AI Future
·41m - 20
The Last Action Director
·31m - 21
2026 Oscar Nominations: A 'Sinners' Paradise?
·38m - 22
Chuck Klosterman on his new book, 'Football.'
·56m - 23
An Age of Cultural Stagnation
·55m - 24
Sitting Shiva for Rob Reiner
·51m - 25
What Might Netflix Do with WB's Live Experiences?
·28m - 26
Netflix Buying WB Means Reduced Competition
·53m - 27
Sticking with 'Family'
·47m - 28
Printing the Legend: The surprising political 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.'
·42m - 29
The Eternal Relevance of 'Network'
·43m - 30
What 'A House of Dynamite' Gets Right About Nuclear War
·52m - 31
Delroy Lindo Deserves a Dang Oscar
·56m - 32
Crafting an Iconic Horror Movie Mask
·37m - 33
How Orwell Helps Us Remember Truth
·32m - 34
How an MTV Prank Helps Explain the Internet
·48m - 35
How Movies Can Better Prep Us for the AI Threat
·53m - 36
Why 'Haunted Hotel' Is the Perfect Spooky Season Show
·54m - 37
'The Christophers': Emotionally Authentic Art
·43m - 38
Does America Need a Film Tax Credit?
·41m - 39
How an Alamo Founder Is Reinventing Theaters—Again
·40m - 40
The Wild Career of 'Weapons' Star Toby Huss
·1h 3m - 41
Ron Howard: The Most Underrated Major Director?
·54m - 42
Can 'The Naked Gun' Save Hollywood Comedies?
·46m - 43
The Society-Deforming Spectacle of Jubilee
·50m - 44
Why Anime Is Taking Over Pop Culture
·43m - 45
How 'Sovereign' Tackles a Cult with Compassion
·36m - 46
Is 'F1' a Hit? How Do We Even Judge That?
·46m - 47
How Zombies Can Help Explain Political Theory
·14m - 48
You Can Make a Movie with Your Phone
·43m - 49
Why Productions Are Fleeing Los Angeles
·39m - 50
How the Studios Are (Quietly) Using AI
·46m - 51
A Life in Music
·1h 4m - 52
Clothing 'The Last of Us'
·29m - 53
One Family's Journey Through Hollywood
·39m - 54
How David Mamet Made His First Film in 12 Years
·47m - 55
The Hidden Art of 'Secret Mall Apartment'
·41m - 56
Hollywood Should Rely Less on Overseas Box Office
·1h 1m - 57
The Economics of Indie Distribution
·1h 12m - 58
SNL At 50
·44m - 59
Documenting Horror
·38m - 60
How Tariffs Will Make Movies More Expensive
·45m - 61
Why Is Gaming Underperforming Expectations?
·1h 7m - 62
Revisiting 'Inglourious Basterds'
·57m - 63
Awards Season in Flux
·49m - 64
The Fascinating Legacy of 'Yacht Rock'
·46m - 65
Everything There Is to Know About Star Wars
·50m - 66
Bringing Novels Into the Internet Age
·30m - 67
The Copyrighted Material Being Used to Train AI
·40m - 68
Comcast Is Spinning Off Its Cable Assets: What Does that Mean?
·40m - 69
Melding Video Games and TV Shows
·59m - 70
The Christmas Movie Industrial Complex
·53m - 71
Alfred Hitchcock, Master of Fear and Desire
·34m - 72
The Four Horsemen of the Media Apocalypse
·1h 3m - 73
A Second Look at 'Caligula'
·46m - 74
The Movie Donald Trump Doesn't Want You to See
·42m - 75
Why Is It So Hard to Find Something to Watch on Streaming?
·40m - 76
Devo's Groundbreaking Work
·39m - 77
How Social Media Is Warping Our Sense of Everything
·1h 6m - 78
The Death of a Community
·55m - 79
Will Rogers and the American Spirit
·39m - 80
John Magary on the Art of Editing
·56m - 81
The Social Media Trap for Teens
·39m - 82
Disney's Future Is the Past
·48m - 83
Brad Thor's World of Intrigue
·53m - 84
Documenting the Rise of Nazism
·54m - 85
Ryan Faughnder on Paramount's Big Changes
·36m - 86
Jennifer Esposito on 'Fresh Kills'
·43m - 87
Nielsen's Ratings Evolution
·36m - 88
Documenting 'How to Rob a Bank'
·32m - 89
We're All 'Theatre Kids'
·45m - 90
Celebrating Bruce Willis
·36m - 91
Don't Panic About Movie Theaters (Yet)
·55m - 92
Bobby Miller on his film, 'The Cleanse,' finally getting a Blu-ray release.
·35m - 93
Documenting January 6
·51m - 94
On the Great Albert Brooks
·34m - 95
The Fall and Rise of 'Scarface'
·48m - 96
Is David Ellison Hollywood's Great Hope?
·30m - 97
The Art of Costume Design
·40m - 98
From 'Funny or Die' to Western Neo-Noirs
·1h 5m - 99
How to Make a Microbudget Movie
Sonny Bunch interviews Jake Van Kersen about making his microbudget movie 'I Agree With You' and its screening at Chicago's Music Box Theater.
·1h 9m - 100
A 'Fast and Furious' Guide to the Economics of Hollywood
Sonny Bunch interviews Barry Hertz about his book on the Fast and Furious franchise, exploring its economic impact and Hollywood history.
·40m - 101
What America Loses if WB and Paramount Merge
Hidden gemSonny Bunch interviews Ted Hope and others about the potential Warner Bros.-Paramount merger and its impact on Hollywood consolidation.
Apr 17, 2026·1h 4m·2 clips - 102
'The Christophers': Emotionally Authentic Art
Sonny Bunch interviews screenwriter Ed Solomon about his new film 'The Christophers' directed by Steven Soderbergh, discussing its origin and themes.
Apr 10, 2026·43m - 103
The Cross-Country Making of 'Forrest Gump'
Sonny Bunch interviews Steve Starkey about his new book detailing the making of 'Forrest Gump' and his career working on iconic films.
Apr 3, 2026·54m - 104
How America Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Gambling
McKay Coppins discusses his Atlantic cover story about the explosive growth of sports betting and its impact on American culture.
Mar 27, 2026·51m - 105
Can Every Movie Make Money?
Sonny Bunch introduces a previously released interview with Kevin Goetz about his book on succeeding in the movie business.
Mar 23, 2026·57m - 106
Larry McMurtry: Man of the West
Hidden gemSonny Bunch, culture editor at The Bulwark, interviews David Streifeld, author of Western Star: The Life and Legends of Larry McMurtry, covering McMurtry's origins as a voracious book-collector in 1940s Archer City, Texas, his Forrest Gump-like proximity to key cultural events (Ken Kesey's writing group, the Merry Pranksters, a Reagan White House dinner where John Travolta danced with Princess Diana), and his complicated feelings about his most celebrated works.
Mar 20, 2026·52m·3 clips - 107
Ethan Suplee and the Challenge of Getting Nasty
Host Sonny Bunch of The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood interviews actor Ethan Suplee and director Rod Blackhurst about their horror film Dolly, which opens in theaters and heads to VOD and Shudder.
Mar 6, 2026·59m·4 clips - 108
'Sirāt' and Finding Community in the End of the World
Hidden gemOliver Laxe frames The Bulwark Goes to Hollywood discussion around Sirat as a theater-first experience, calling the cinema "a sacred place" and the film "good medicine." Sonny Bunch and Laxe spend much of the episode on rave culture, body-based viewing, and the idea that Sirat works best with a crowd, surround sound, and a big screen.
Mar 4, 2026·34m·2 clips - 109
How Three Friends Saved, and Destroyed, Hollywood
Feb 27, 2026·38m - 110
Oscar-Nominated Doc Exposes Alabama's Brutal Prisons
Feb 20, 2026·54m - 111
Read All About 'The Late, Great Hannibal Lecter'
Feb 13, 2026·48m - 112
'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' Screenwriter on Our Desolate AI Future
Feb 6, 2026·41m - 113
The Last Action Director
Jan 29, 2026·31m - 114
2026 Oscar Nominations: A 'Sinners' Paradise?
Jan 23, 2026·38m - 115
Chuck Klosterman on his new book, 'Football.'
Jan 16, 2026·56m - 116
An Age of Cultural Stagnation
Jan 9, 2026·55m - 117
Sitting Shiva for Rob Reiner
Dec 19, 2025·51m - 118
What Might Netflix Do with WB's Live Experiences?
Dec 12, 2025·28m - 119
Netflix Buying WB Means Reduced Competition
Dec 5, 2025·53m - 120
Sticking with 'Family'
Hidden gemSonny Bunch interviews screenwriter David Coggeshall about his inspirations for writing The Family Plan 2, a holiday-themed sequel.
Nov 28, 2025·47m·2 clips - 121
A 'Fast and Furious' Guide to the Economics of Hollywood
Nov 21, 2025·40m - 122
Printing the Legend: The surprising political 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.'
Nov 14, 2025·42m - 123
The Eternal Relevance of 'Network'
Nov 7, 2025·43m - 124
What 'A House of Dynamite' Gets Right About Nuclear War
Oct 31, 2025·52m - 125
Delroy Lindo Deserves a Dang Oscar
Oct 24, 2025·56m - 126
Crafting an Iconic Horror Movie Mask
Oct 17, 2025·37m - 127
How Orwell Helps Us Remember Truth
Oct 10, 2025·32m - 128
How an MTV Prank Helps Explain the Internet
Oct 3, 2025·48m - 129
How Movies Can Better Prep Us for the AI Threat
Sep 26, 2025·53m - 130
Why 'Haunted Hotel' Is the Perfect Spooky Season Show
Sep 19, 2025·54m - 131
'Andor' and the Accelerationist Moment
Sep 11, 2025·47m - 132
Does America Need a Film Tax Credit?
Sep 5, 2025·41m - 133
How an Alamo Founder Is Reinventing Theaters—Again
Aug 29, 2025·40m - 134
The Wild Career of 'Weapons' Star Toby Huss
Aug 22, 2025·1h 3m - 135
Ron Howard: The Most Underrated Major Director?
Aug 15, 2025·54m - 136
Can 'The Naked Gun' Save Hollywood Comedies?
Aug 1, 2025·46m - 137
The Society-Deforming Spectacle of Jubilee
Jul 25, 2025·50m - 138
Why Anime Is Taking Over Pop Culture
Jul 18, 2025·43m - 139
How 'Sovereign' Tackles a Cult with Compassion
Writer-director Christian Swagel discusses his film 'Sovereign' about the sovereign citizens movement and a father-son crime, exploring fringe ideologies and cults.
Jul 11, 2025·36m - 140
Is 'F1' a Hit? How Do We Even Judge That?
Jul 3, 2025·46m - 141
How Zombies Can Help Explain Political Theory
Jun 27, 2025·14m - 142
You Can Make a Movie with Your Phone
Sonny Bunch interviews Bart Weiss about his book on smartphone filmmaking and discusses how the new film 28 Years Later was shot using hundreds of iPhones.
Jun 20, 2025·43m - 143
Why Productions Are Fleeing Los Angeles
Jun 13, 2025·39m - 144
How the Studios Are (Quietly) Using AI
Jun 6, 2025·46m - 145
A Life in Music
May 30, 2025·1h 4m - 146
Clothing 'The Last of Us'
May 23, 2025·29m - 147
One Family's Journey Through Hollywood
May 16, 2025·39m - 148
How David Mamet Made His First Film in 12 Years
May 9, 2025·47m - 149
The Hidden Art of 'Secret Mall Apartment'
May 2, 2025·41m - 150
Hollywood Should Rely Less on Overseas Box Office
Apr 25, 2025·1h 1m