The Town with Matthew Belloni

Latest Episodes:

Who Won (and Lost) TV’s Annual Billion-Dollar Cash Grab May 14, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to recap this year's TV upfronts, highlighting the best, the worst, and everything in between from TV’s most glamorous week (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a box office prediction for this weekend (32:15).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Rich Greenfield

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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What Makes Good TV Writers (and Execs), With David E. Kelley May 13, 2026

Show notes

Live from Los Angeles, Matt is joined by writer and producer David E. Kelley ('Margo’s Got Money Troubles,' 'Big Little Lies,' 'L.A. Law') to talk about the difference between producing television for a streamer vs. a traditional legacy studio, writing about OnlyFans in his new show, what makes a good TV executive, whether he has ever used AI, and more.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: David E. Kelley

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Disney vs. Trump in the D’Amaro Era Looks Different May 11, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Disney pushback against the Trump administration by challenging the FCC’s investigation of 'The View,' saying it infringes on the First Amendment and free speech. They debate what this strong political stance means for Disney under new CEO Josh D’Amaro, and dig into Disney’s first earnings call under D’Amaro highlighting what he did and didn’t say in his mission statement (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the government's investigation of the NFL’s antitrust exemptions (24:15).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com.

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A Sit-Down With Blake Lively’s Lead Litigator May 08, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by litigator Michael Gottlieb to unpack the latest news in the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni battle, who actually won, why the saga isn't over yet, if there is any regret for how things have unfolded, how much Ryan Reynolds was involved, and the lessons from this case.

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Michael Gottlieb

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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SubwayTakes, Tiktok Vs. YouTube, and New Late-Night TV With Kareem Rahma May 06, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Kareem Rahma, host and producer of SubwayTakes and Keep the Meter Running, to discuss transitioning from behind the scenes to an on-screen talent later in his career, the success of SubwayTakes, building a real business on social, the blurred lines between online shows and traditional late-night television, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ (28:27).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Kareem Rahma

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com.

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Hell Has Frozen Over: Netflix To Release Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Exclusively in Theaters May 04, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix agreeing to release Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia: The Magician's Nephew’, in theaters worldwide with a traditional window of theatrical exclusivity for the first time ever. They examine why Netflix blinked on theaters now, and if this is a one-off or a sign of future softening of their stance on theaters (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the ongoing Jimmy Kimmel-Donald Trump feud (25:35).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com.

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The 2026 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Ranking Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

It’s almost May, which means summer blockbuster season has officially begun. Matt welcomes back Puck’s Scott Mendelson to run through the most highly anticipated films of the summer, ranking each one by their box office potential and assigning confidence scores for each film.

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Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Adam Fogelson

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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'Michael’s' Big Win, the Reshoot Drama, and Sequel Hurdles with Lionsgate’s Film Head Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Lionsgate film chair Adam Fogelson to talk about the success of ‘Michael,’ the challenges of making the movie, why they took a chance on the film when many other studios passed, whether there will be a sequel and if it will engage with the allegations against Michael Jackson, Lionsgate’s recent hot streak, how they compete with major studios, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (40:35).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Adam Fogelson

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Peacock’s Battle for Survival and the Catch 22 of Streaming Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to briefly discuss Matt’s experience at the White House Correspondents' Dinner before diving into the latest struggles for Peacock after a first-quarter loss of $432M despite increasing its subscriber base by 22 percent. They dig into why the streamer is struggling despite its association with a very successful movie studio, its strong reality TV slate, and its valuable NFL rights, and discuss the overall paradox of the streaming business in 2026 (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Netflix's new Los Angeles headquarters (25:23).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com.

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WarnerMount One Step Closer and the Bizarre ‘Michael’ Backstory Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

Matt is joined by Semafor’s business and finance editor Liz Hoffman to discuss Wall Street's view of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, this morning's WBD shareholder vote to approve the $110B deal, the non-binding rejection of David Zaslav’s exorbitant pay package, how the board will respond, and Netflix’s reputation after its push to acquire Warner Bros (00:32). Then, Matt and Craig recap the ‘Michael’ premiere, discuss the sordid backstory of making the movie, and give their opening weekend box office prediction (25:50).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Liz Hoffman

Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com.

Half Man is now streaming on HBO Max.

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