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PODCAST

The Town with Matthew Belloni

Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to streaming wars. Multiple times each week, Matt will touch on what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.

society & culture

All Episodes

38:07

The 10 Worst Things to Happen to Hollywood Since 2010

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/18

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to look back on the past 15 years in Hollywood and determine which moments were the most detrimental to the industry. In descending order, they each rank and explain their top five moments that had the most meaningful and negative effect on the greater Hollywood ecosystem (01:53). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Taylor Swift’s next act (29:57).For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’

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35:06

Paramount’s New Playbook Unveiled and the Taylor...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/15

Matt is joined by NYT staff reporter Brooks Barnes to discuss Paramount’s new strategy under David Ellison. They were both at Paramount’s press event earlier this week, so they dissect what Ellison told the press about the company’s new direction and discuss their views on theater windows, Paramount’s content spend, its streaming strategy, and whether it will sell off its cable assets (02:43). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on where the New Heights episode with Taylor Swift will rank among

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32:25

The Power and Peculiar Psychology of ‘Disney Adults’

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/14

Matt is joined by A.J. Wolfe, creator of the website Disney Food Blog and author of a new book, ‘Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture’. They dive into the "Disney adult" culture and its growing community, how Disney caters to this specific demo, the millennial connection, and thoughts on Josh D'Amaro, as well as the power this community has over Disney (02:28). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on the ratings for the 'Kennedy Center Honors’ broadcast on CBS

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31:13

Paramount’s UFC Knockout and Amazon’s Podcast Flameout

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/11

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw and Ashley Carman to discuss UFC’s $7.7 billion rights deal with Paramount, as well as the changing landscape in the podcast business. They begin by discussing the huge swing David Ellison took to secure the entire slate of UFC’s streaming and broadcast rights for Paramount+, eliminating the pay-per-view model. They debate where the money comes from and why UFC ultimately chose Paramount over others (02:47). Next, they discuss Amazon’s decision to fold its

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32:26

Could Movies Start Skipping Netflix to Go Straight to...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/08

Matt is joined by Indian superstar actor and producer Aamir Khan to discuss his bold strategy to release his newest film exclusively on YouTube despite an eight-figure offer from a traditional streamer. He explains how this decision fuels his own creative responsibility for the film, the rationale of sacrificing money for reach, the drawbacks of the presale model, and why there needs to be a stop between theatrical and streaming video on demand (03:23). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about

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32:28

ESPN Jumps Into Bed With the NFL. What About Everyone...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/07

LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for tickets!⁠ Matt is joined by Huddle Up’s Joe Pompliano to break down why the NFL is acquiring a 10 percent stake in ESPN in exchange for NFL Network and other media assets. They discuss the complicated details of this deal and what's in it for both sides, including how this will affect ESPN's NFL offerings and its upcoming stand-alone streaming service (02:42). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for

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32:27

Paramount’s New Team, Fantastic Four’s Nosedive,...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/08/05

LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for tickets! ⁠Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss a wide range of topics from around town this week, including David Ellison’s new Paramount executive hierarchy, the Week 2 nosedive taken by 'The Fantastic Four' despite its good reviews, Peacock's stagnation and reliance on sports, YouTube stars Dude Perfect releasing their own documentary in movie theaters, and more (01:51). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the

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28:59

Why It’s Harder Than Ever to Make a Studio Comedy,...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/31

LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Seth MacFarlane to discuss how the new ‘The Naked Gun’ got green-lit, the lost art of joke-driven comedy, how to push the envelope in 2025, and why it's harder than ever for even someone like him to get a studio comedy made (01:49). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us your thoughts

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33:27

Why IMAX Is Becoming Bigger Than the Movie

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/30

LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. ⁠⁠⁠Click here for tickets! Matt is joined by Richard Gelfond, the CEO of IMAX, to discuss the influence of the IMAX brand and its growing popularity among moviegoers. They talk about how the marketing has changed for IMAX movies, selling tickets to Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ on IMAX a year in advance, and whether other theater chains could create their own premium large-format competitor (02:38). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box

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36:18

Paramount Now Belongs to David Ellison. What Will He...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/28

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the possible changes coming to Paramount now that Skydance and its CEO, David Ellison, are officially taking over. Just how much will the new media mogul influence the movies, shows, and news under the Paramount umbrella (02:17)? Matt, Lucas, and Craig finish the show with a prediction about ‘Happy Gilmore 2’ (26:59). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click

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35:23

The F-You ‘South Park’ Episode and the Precarious...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/24

LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. ⁠⁠Click here for tickets!Matt is joined by Mosaic’s Michael Lasker to talk about the explosive new 'South Park' episode, the buzz around town, and how Matt Stone and Trey Parker continue to push the envelope and get away with it (02:38). Later, Michael explains what the market is like for comedy right now, what is being sold, what studios are looking for, why theatrical comedies are struggling, the pullback on sitcoms, and whether there is reason for optimism

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36:21

‘Fantastic Four’ Pressure, Marvel’s Next Steps, and...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/23

LIVE SHOW in Los Angeles on August 27. Tickets go live today at 10 a.m. PT. ⁠Click here for tickets!Matt is joined by Wall Street Journal entertainment reporter Ben Fritz to discuss how much pressure is on ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ for the next era of the MCU to succeed. They discuss some of the changes Marvel has made to combat superhero fatigue, Kevin Feige’s future, and whether Marvel or DC is better positioned to win the rest of the decade (02:50). Matt finishes the show with an opening

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33:28

Colbert’s Next Home, and Netflix Earnings Flexes and...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/21

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss what's next for Stephen Colbert, and whether Netflix could ever produce a successful late-night show. Then, they dissect Netflix's latest earnings report and highlight its strengths and weaknesses, including why the stock fell despite strong financial earnings, how concerning is its stagnation in the share of viewing metric, its use of AI in ‘The Eternaut’, and more (02:42). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Fox amid

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35:20

Colbert Is Cancelled. Is the Late-Night Dam Bursting?

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/19

Matt is joined by veteran late-night executive and producer Nick Bernstein to discuss CBS’s decision to cancel ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’—despite being the number one late night show on TV—and debate whether or not there was any political involvement, as Skydance is still looking for the FCC’s approval in a merger with CBS's parent company, Paramount Global. They also dive into the declining economics in all of late night, the CBS head George Cheeks’s other possible motives for firing

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33:17

The 2025 Emmy Nomination Awards: Winners, Snubs, and...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/16

Matt is joined by Rebecca Ford, senior correspondent at Vanity Fair, to cohost The Town’s first Emmy Nomination Awards, the first awards show dedicated to nominations for an awards show. Matt and Rebecca give out awards like Biggest Winner, Sneaky Loser, Most Embarrassing Nomination for the Academy, Thirstiest Campaign, the “Enough Already” Award, Best Breakout Nomination, and more (01:45). Matt and Rebecca finish the show with predictions for Best Comedy Series, Best Drama Series, and Best Limited

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30:58

'Superman,' Marvel vs. DC, and the Studio Head Hot Seat

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/14

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the strong opening weekend for 'Superman,' talk about whether this movie is enough to kick-start a DC reboot, and revisit Marvel’s post-'Avengers' strategy as they look ahead to ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and beyond. Later, they discuss the impressive and timely run of box office successes from the Warner Bros. movie studio and take a look at which studio heads are on the hot seat as we near the end of summer (02:15). Matt finishes the show

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33:28

News and Deal Buzz From Inside Sun Valley’s...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/11

Matt is joined by CNBC senior media and tech correspondent Julia Boorstin live from Sun Valley 2025 to discuss what we can expect from this year's summer camp for billionaires. Julia gives us the latest buzz on potential mergers, behind-the-scenes conversations about AI, the NFL's global plans, Linda Yaccarino leaving Twitter, and more (02:19). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the newly announced HBO sketch comedy show from Larry David and Barack Obama’s Higher Ground (26:17).For a

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33:25

After a Historic Hollywood Tax Break, Is Moviemaking...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/09

Matt is joined by Joe Chianese of Entertainment Partners to unpack the new California tax bill, which will significantly expand the state's film and TV tax incentive, making California one of the most competitive states in the country for film and TV production. Joe helps us dig into the bill, what it actually means for film and TV productions, who benefits the most, who doesn’t, why this bill finally passed now, and whether this will spark a return to power for California in the film and TV

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33:23

Why the Paramount-Skydance Merger is "F*cking Up...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/07

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the standoff between ‘South Park’ creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker and Paramount amid the looming merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. They break down the details of this public fight, why the new season of ‘South Park’ is delayed, and how the Trump-Paramount settlement could affect this situation (03:23). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Jesse Eisenberg potentially returning for the sequel of ‘The Social Network’

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28:36

Bribe? Surrender? Both? Unpacking the Trump-Paramount...

The Town with Matthew Belloni ·

2025/07/02

Matt is joined by CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter to discuss Paramount reaching an agreement with President Donald Trump to settle his lawsuit with ‘60 Minutes’ for $16 million. They discuss the curious timing of the settlement amid the looming Paramount-Skydance merger, whether the FCC will approve this merger, the potential of a follow-up bribery investigation, how this will affect the Paramount and CBS brand, and the long-term political and journalistic implications of this agreement.For

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548 results

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