The Town with Matthew Belloni

Latest Episodes:

The Money and Power Behind the Oscars’ Red Carpet Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Puck’s longtime fashion journalist, Lauren Sherman, to discuss the business of the red carpet, the amount of money celebrities can make from high-end luxury brands, and the state of the Oscars as a fashion and brand platform. Lauren tells us which stars have the biggest brand deals, who has broken out this year, and how a stylist can take them to the next level. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about another possible strike in Hollywood, then delivers some gossip about a certain A-list celebrity's attendance at the Oscars.

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: Lauren Sherman

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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New Film Heads and a New Direction for Netflix and Disney Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the big changes on the film side of Netflix and Disney, and what these moves signal for each studio. Netflix hired producer Dan Lin as their new head of film, and Disney promoted David Greenbaum as their new head of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios. Dramatically fewer movies at Netflix, Disney goes for more original hits, big changes at Netflix and Disney and maybe the kinds of movies that get made. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the upcoming release of the ‘Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour’ movie on Disney+.

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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The Awards Season Awards: Which Oscars Campaigns Worked (and Didn’t) Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by The New Yorker’s Michael Schulman to parse through the endless campaigns from the 2024 Oscar season and give out their own awards for the best, worst, and everything in between. Some of the awards include Best Campaign Narrative, Biggest Campaign Misfire, Best Stunt, Best Overall Campaign, and Who Won Awards Season.

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 Schulman

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Will AI Video Replace Hollywood? Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Ben Thompson, the founder of Stratechery, to discuss Open AI’s new text-to-video model Sora and the ensuing Hollywood freakout. Ben explains how Sora works and what effect it could have in the short and long term in the entertainment industry. They discuss which departments will be disrupted the most, how Sora and text-to-video models can be used as a productivity tool, and how the major studios should deal with this new era in technology. Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for 'Dune: Part Two.'

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: Ben Thompson

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Panic Time for Max and Warner Bros. Discovery? Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to check in on Warner Bros. Discovery and CEO David Zazlav after a rocky earnings call last week. They discuss the disappointing movie quarter, their murky path to streaming profitability, the state of the MAX brand, whether they will keep their NBA rights, and if it's officially time to pivot on WBD’s business model. Matt finishes the show with a prediction on the Best Actor and Best Actress categories of the Academy Awards.

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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The Harsh Data Behind ‘Barbie’ and Taylor Swift’s Success Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Dr. Stacy Smith—the founder of the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative—to discuss the state of female representation in Hollywood and how “The Year of the Woman” after major box office hits from ‘Barbie’, Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ and Beyonce’s ‘Renaissance' might not be accurate. They also discuss the state of casting older men and women in Hollywood, the DEI initiatives of major studios, new inclusion standards for the Oscars, and the responsibility of the Academy to bring about change in Hollywood. Matt finishes the show with a prediction on the new Apple sports app.

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: Dr. Stacy Smith

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Peacock-Paramount+ Merger Rumors, Questions, and What-Ifs Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Peacock’s strong start to 2024 and the prospect of a possible joint venture or “commercial partnership” with Paramount+, as reported by The Wall Street Journal late last week. They run through the logistics of a merger, the curious timing of the Journal’s story, the critical role live sports rights play, Warren Buffett's sale of a third of his stake in Paramount Global, and who is most to blame for Paramount's struggles. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about John Oliver’s HBO show, ‘Last Week Tonight.’

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 to Win Best Picture on a Budget, With Neon’s Tom Quinn Feb 17, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by Neon founder and CEO Tom Quinn to talk about the thesis for launching Neon, the difficulty of starting a theatrical distribution company centered around adult-oriented movies in 2017, how they are able to compete financially with other major studios’ Oscar campaigns, the business model behind a movie like ‘Anatomy of a Fall,’ what they learned from ‘Parasite,’ what he deems a success in independent film, and more. Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of the ‘True Detective’ franchise.

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: Tom Quinn

Producer: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Hopeful or Hopeless? Takeaways From 2024's Bleak Box Office Beginning Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

Matt is joined by box office columnist and Puck contributor Scott Mendelson to discuss the historically bleak start to the year at the box office, filled with few tentpole releases and bombs from movies like ‘Argylle.’ They preview the rest of the year’s movie slate, discuss whether movies like 'Dune: Part Two' can outperform the limitations of their genre, offer up some potential wild-card hits, and wonder whether the lack of major franchise releases in 2024 will boost original and original-ish movies like Ryan Gosling's ‘The Fall Guy.’ Matt finishes the show by giving a box office prediction for the upcoming film ‘Madame Web.’

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: Scott Mendelson

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Live From Las Vegas: Oscars Pressure, Late-Night TV, and the Vegas Sports Boom With Jimmy Kimmel Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

Live from Las Vegas, Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and special guest Jimmy Kimmel to discuss the state of sports television, the NFL's dominance in an otherwise struggling television landscape, Las Vegas as a Super Bowl venue, the potential move of the Oakland A's to Vegas, the hardest part about hosting the Oscars, the future of late-night television, and more.

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 Jimmy Kimmel

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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