The Town with Matthew Belloni

Latest Episodes:

Smoke or Fire? The Most Troubled Hollywood Companies Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

2022 has been a rough year for Hollywood—theater chains have struggled, mass layoffs are taking place, and stocks have plummeted. Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the companies that have struggled the most this year and determine which still should have room for optimism and which are permanently headed in the wrong direction.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Streaming Year-End Review: Biggest Hits, Misses, and Questions Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Julia Alexander from Parrot Analytics to assess how each streamer performed in 2022. Did ‘Andor’ move the needle for Disney+? Why is Wall Street still down on Netflix despite a record-setting year for the company? Who officially won the ‘House of the Dragon’ vs. ‘The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power’ battle? Do Paramount+ and Peacock have reason for optimism?

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Julia Alexander

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Big Business of Christmas Movies Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Amy Winter, the head of programming at Lifetime, to discuss the explosion of holiday movies over the past decade, why Christmas movies specifically are more popular than ever, and the keys to making a successful Christmas movie.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Amy Winter

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Disney’s Five Biggest Dilemmas in the New Bob Iger Era Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the biggest problems on Disney’s plate in the Bob Iger Era, Part 2, including the recent box office slump, particularly in the animation department, the stalling subscriber growth at Disney+, the future of Hulu, whether or not fans are experiencing Marvel and 'Star Wars' fatigue, the conundrum of live sports on the internet, and Disney parks increasing their prices over the past few years.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Taylor Swift Ticketmaster Debacle, Explained Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to dive deep into the chaos of trying to buy tickets to Taylor Swift’s newly announced Era’s Tour. They discuss who is to blame for the Ticketmaster meltdown, detail the process of setting ticket prices for concerts, and speculate on how Taylor Swift could shake up the live-concert ticket system.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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A Major Disney Shake-up: Former CEO Bob Iger Is Back Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to break down the return of Bob Iger as CEO of Disney once again. They talk about whether Disney needed to make this move or whether this was a knee-jerk reaction after a disappointing earnings report, how this is a risky move for Iger and his legacy, the new succession plan, and what the next few years of Disney will look like.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Oscars Watch Begins: Front-Runners, Story Lines, and the ‘Top Gun’ Debate Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

With awards season ramping up, Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg to discuss his forecast for the upcoming Oscars, including front-runners for best picture, best actor, and best actress, as well as which movies and actors could sneak their way into a nomination. They also talk about the world of Oscar voting, what typically influences votes, and if popular movies should be included more at the Oscars.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Scott Feinberg

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Secrets of Marvel’s Magic Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Marvel’s executive of production and development and ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ producer Nate Moore to discuss what makes Marvel so special. Nate talks about the development process when making a Marvel film, the level of familiarity with the IP required to produce and direct a Marvel movie, how they decide between making a TV show or a movie, the unconventional filmmaker hiring process, and what makes Kevin Feige so successful.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Nate Moore

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The 2022 Directors Draft Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Imagine you are the head of a new film studio with an unlimited budget. Who are the movie directors you would pay the most money to sign for the next 20 years? Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw put on their studio-head hats to each draft a team of directors for the next two decades in Hollywood. The goal is commercial success—who will make the most money?

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme song: Devon Renaldo

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Town Hall: Apple Buying Disney? 'SNL's Host Problem, and a Ryan Murphy Apology Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Welcome back to Town Hall! Matt and Craig answer listener questions about CNN’s lackluster election-night ratings, the host problem with 'SNL,’ Disney’s stock price and Apple’s position to potentially make an offer, the Hallmark movie appeal to major streamers, the Hollywood-China situation, Ryan Murphy’s latest success at Netflix and whether another big deal is in his future, and which streaming services are most likely to merge in the next few years.

Host: Matt Belloni

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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