The Town with Matthew Belloni

This episode discusses major music industry developments including Bill Ackman's potential $60 billion acquisition of Universal Music Group and Ye's (Kanye West) controversial comeback attempts.

This episode discusses the new documentary 'Lorne' about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, featuring director Morgan Neville's exclusive two-year access to the show.

This episode discusses the new filmmaker council led by Jerry Bruckheimer and Emma Thomas that will advocate for movie theaters ahead of CinemaCon, exploring its purpose and significance in Hollywood.

Matt Belloni reports on the surprise Writers Guild deal with studios, a four-year agreement that includes AI protections and health plan funding.

Matt Belloni explores whether movies are actually getting longer, citing data from researcher Stephen Follows on over 36,000 films.

This episode explores why Hollywood increasingly relies on book adaptations for successful movies, highlighting recent box office hits and the shift from superhero IP to popular books.

This episode discusses Netflix's recent price increases, its strategy to push users toward ad-supported tiers, and the broader context of streaming competition and Wall Street reactions.

Senator Adam Schiff joins The Town to talk about keeping production local.

Matt Belloni and Alex Heath link OpenAI's Sora shutdown to Disney's canceled AI partnership, including Disney getting its $1 billion back.

Ryan Gosling is the opening test: after 20-something years as a movie star, does Project Hail Mary finally make him an A-lister who can carry a movie on his own?

Paul Feig joins the host to unpack how The Housemaid turned into an out-of-nowhere theatrical hit.

Alex Sherman says the NFL could reopen its 2021 TV deal early, with CBS potentially moving from $2.1 billion a year to more than $3 billion for Sunday afternoon games after a change-of-control trigger tied to Skydance-Paramount.

This episode discusses the innovative and cost-effective production of HBO Max's hit show 'The Pit' with lead producer John Wells, exploring its retro business model and impact on the streaming industry.

This episode explores how YouTuber Markiplier self-financed and self-distributed his horror movie 'Iron Lung' to a wide theatrical release without traditional studio support.

This episode features an interview with SAG-AFTRA lead negotiator Duncan Crabtree Ireland about upcoming Hollywood labor negotiations, focusing on AI concerns and actor demands.

This episode features an interview with Jared Bush, head of Disney Animation, discussing the success of Zootopia 2, its impact in China, challenges with AI and original animated films, and the future of the studio.

This episode reviews the 2025 box office performance, discussing overall revenue declines, studio hits like Disney's films, and factors affecting the industry.