The Town with Matthew Belloni

Latest Episodes:

What the Heck Is Going On at Disney? Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by CNBC’s Alex Sherman to discuss the surprising firing of Disney entertainment executive Peter Rice. They discuss what Disney is saying about it, what does this say about the future of Disney, and much more.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Alex Sherman

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Associate Producer: Isaiah Blakely

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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NBA Finals Ratings and ESPN's Future in Sports Television Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by John Ourand from Sports Business Journal to discuss the unexpectedly low ratings after the first two games of the NBA Finals as well as the future of sports in streaming, including Disney’s commitment to ESPN, a potential buyer for the network, and more.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: John Ourand

Host: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ and A24’s Mystique Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Keegan to discuss the indie hit ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ and why it resonated with audiences. Later, they talk about A24’s unique cachet in Hollywood, its innovation in marketing and brand awareness, and whether it will eventually be acquired.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Rebecca Keegan

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Town Hall: Tom Cruise’s Pay Day, ‘LOTR’ Buzz, and HBO’s Secrets Jun 03, 2022

Show notes

In our first ever Town Hall, Matt and Craig field questions from the audience, covering topics about Disney’s ‘Star Wars’ movie struggles, Amazon’s expensive bet on its ‘Lord of the Rings’ series, the process behind green-lighting and renewing shows and why HBO is so good at it, Tom Cruise’s potential nine-figure payday from ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ and the business behind how actors and writers get paid.

Host: Matt Belloni

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Johnny Depp Wins: Inside the Verdict and the Fallout Jun 01, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Puck’s Eriq Gardner to react to the verdict in the Amber Heard–Johnny Depp defamation trial, as well as what's next for Depp and Heard and the significance of this trial going forward.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Eriq Gardner

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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‘Top Gun: Maverick’: Fluke or Future of the Summer Box Office? May 31, 2022

Show notes

‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ the sequel to the 1986 blockbuster, set the record for biggest opening over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss if this is a sign of older audiences finally returning to theaters or if this is just a flash in the pan. Then they ponder if Tom Cruise is Hollywood's last remaining movie star.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Summer Blockbuster Confidence Scale May 26, 2022

Show notes

It’s Memorial Day weekend, which means it is officially summer blockbuster season. Matt is joined by Forbes’ Scott Mendelson to run through each of the most highly anticipated blockbusters of the summer and assign their confidence in the movie exceeding expectations at the box office.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Scott Mendelson

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Can Lorne Michaels Reinvent ‘SNL’ One Last Time? May 25, 2022

Show notes

In the Season 47 finale, ‘Saturday Night Live’ said goodbye to cast members Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, and Kyle Mooney. Matt is joined by journalist, author, and longtime ‘SNL’ expert James Andrew Miller to talk about what’s next for the show, cast members working on outside projects, the diversity of the cast and writers room, Lorne’s successor, and the looming 50-year anniversary.

Host : Matt Belloni

Guest: James Andrew Miller

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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The Hollywood Stock Market: Netflix, Star Wars, Harry Styles, Pete Davidson, and More! May 23, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss which Hollywood-focused trends are theoretical buys or sells in the stock market of Hollywood.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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What Happened to Comedy in Hollywood? May 19, 2022

Show notes

Matt is joined by Funny or Die CEO Mike Farah and chief creative officer Joe Farrell to talk about the state of comedy in Hollywood, why there are less and less hit comedy movies in theaters, social media’s impact, making comedy in today's culture, and a movie studio’s incentive to take risks on a comedy without a star.

Host Matt Belloni

Guest: Mike Farah and Joe Farrell

Producer: Craig Horlbeck

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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