The Town with Matthew Belloni

Latest Episodes:

What Is the HBO Brand in 2025? Part 1 With CEO Casey Bloys Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, to talk about the shifting strategies of the HBO and Max brand under the new leadership of David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Discovery, the challenges of being a “something for everybody” service, why they are no longer competing with Netflix, and why HBO is still the top choice for creatives (02:48). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the Marvel film ‘Thunderbolts*’ (26:52).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ⁠⁠click here⁠⁠.
Email us your thoughts! ⁠⁠thetown@spotify.com⁠⁠

Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Casey Bloys

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Can Paramount Solve Its Impossible Trump Problem? Apr 28, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the latest twist in the saga of Paramount, '60 Minutes,' and Trump after the show's executive producer Bill Owens stepped down because he “felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires.” Matt and Lucas look at how the '60 Minutes' drama complicates things for Paramount head Shari Redstone, who desperately wants the Paramount-Skydance merger to close, and what her options are as this endless saga continues (03:01). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Taylor Sheridan’s future with Paramount and his relationship with Paramount executive Chris McCarthy (25:06).
For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ⁠click here⁠.
Email us your thoughts! ⁠thetown@spotify.com⁠
Host: Matt Belloni
Guest: Lucas Shaw
Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez
Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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How the Oscars’ Best Stunt Category Will Work (and Why Stars Are Still Doing Their Own) Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by director and former stunt coordinator David Leitch (‘The Fall Guy,’ ‘Bullet Train,’ ‘Deadpool 2’) to discuss the newest category added to the Academy Awards: Achievement in Stunt Design, which will debut in 2028. David explains how this came to be, the criteria by which the category will be judged, how CGI and AI have affected stunts, which stars still do their own stunts, and how stunt design has changed over the years (02:34). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Accountant 2’ (27:18).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: David Leitch

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Can Netflix Become a Trillion-Dollar Company? Apr 23, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield to talk about Netflix’s latest earning reports and how it can accomplish its ambitious goals for the future. With Netflix being valued at about $450 billion and continuing to be profitable, they debate whether Netflix can reach its lofty goals of 410 million subscribers and becoming a trillion-dollar company by 2030 (02:32). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on how the new rule for Oscar voting will affect the results (26:03).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Rich Greenfield

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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How Did ‘Sinners’ Really Do This Weekend? Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and Franklin Leonard, a film executive and founder of the Black List, to discuss the weekend box office performance of ‘Sinners’, the road it has to become profitable, and the revolving conversation around the special deal that director Ryan Coogler negotiated with Warner Bros. to make it. They also debate why the international numbers for ‘Sinners’ weren’t as strong, if race has anything to do with the type of media coverage the film has received, and if the type of deal that Coogler made is the end of the studio system or just hyperbole (04:04).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Lucas Shaw and Franklin Leonard

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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What Streamers Really Want From Their Sitcoms, With a Netflix Showrunner Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by David Stassen, co-creator of Netflix’s ‘Running Point,’ to talk about the many ways that TV comedy has changed in the streaming era. Dave uses his experience as a working writer and producer for over 15 years to shed some light on what's changed the most in the TV business, including why seasons of television are so much shorter now, how a shorter season affects the writing and pitching process, what streamers are looking for in the comedy space, and how the definition of success has changed (02:21). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the new Ryan Coogler film ‘Sinners’ (27:19).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: David Stassen

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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David Zaslav and the Dying Era of Media Moguls Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by journalist Michael Wolff to discuss his latest profile on Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in New York Magazine. They talk about whether—despite the bad press—he is actually doing a good job running WBD, the Hollywood he wants to live in vs. the one he's actually in, and what it means to be a media mogul in 2025 (03:32). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the pending merger between Skydance Media and Paramount Global (25:11).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Michael Wolff

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Trump Tariff Pain Index: Who Suffers the Most in Hollywood? Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to parse the media landscape and determine which companies are most vulnerable amid the Trump tariff chaos. They discuss how much this volatility will cost the entertainment industry, who is best suited to weather the storm, and if this will affect the cost of production (02:45). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about 'Saturday Night Live' headed to the U.K. (25:22).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Coachella and the Changing Music Festival Hierarchy Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

It’s Coachella weekend, so Matt is joined by Dave Brooks, the senior director of touring at Billboard, to discuss all things music festivals. David gives us the latest on Coachella: how it's been doing lately, how much money headliners make, and whether it's still the most culturally relevant music festival in the world. They then go through a music festival power ranking, discussing which are on the rise, how the economics have changed, and where things are going (02:18). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the newest category added to the Academy Awards (25:14).

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Dave Brooks

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Director Eli Roth Will Kill You On-Screen for $1 Million Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Matt is joined by director Eli Roth to discuss his new, all-encompassing horror media company the Horror Section, which allows horror lovers to “own” a portion of the company and share in the profits. They get into why Eli is so passionate about this idea, how the model actually works, and why the unrated horror genre is the perfect fit for a venture like this (02:41). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for the Rami Malek action flick ‘The Amateur’ (26:04).

To learn more about Eli Roth’s company, click here.

For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here.

Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Eli Roth

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices