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PODCAST

The Business

Lively banter about entertainment industry news and in-depth interviews with directors, producers, writers and actors, hosted by award-winning journalist Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter.

tv & film

All Episodes

30:02

Ben McKenzie’s Crypto Warning: ‘Everyone Is Lying to...

The Business ·

2026/04/24

This week, Kim Masters speaks with Ben McKenzie about his documentary Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, which examines fraud in the cryptocurrency world. The actor discusses leaning into his popularity as Ryan on The OC as a narrative device in the film—one that helped get him in the room for a cringe-inducing interview with now-convicted crypto figure Sam Bankman-Fried. McKenzie also explains how he bet against crypto to help finance the project and shares some thoughts

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30:02

Riz Ahmed on bringing 'Hamlet' into the modern world

The Business ·

2026/04/17

This week, Kim Masters speaks with Riz Ahmed about his modern retelling of Hamlet. The actor and producer discusses the decade-long journey of adapting the Shakespeare classic and how the project evolved from a planned Netflix streaming release to securing theatrical distribution with Focus Features. He also jokes about family members misinterpreting the significance of his Oscar-nominated performance in Sound of Metal and traces the origins of the “Riz Test,” a

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30:02

Drew Goddard shoots for the stars with ‘Project Hail...

The Business ·

2026/04/10

This week, Kim Masters sits down with Drew Goddard to discuss adapting Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary for the big screen. He reflects on how his early days writing on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, and Lost trained him to move fast, as he did when he was tasked with turning around the script for Cloverfield after Paramount greenlit the project from an outline. He also talks about being brought in to rescue World War Z, and shares the advice he gave Andy Weir about a

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30:02

Oscar winners victory lap: Autumn Durald Arkapaw &...

The Business ·

2026/04/03

The Academy Awards are behind us, but we’re sharing unheard stories from Kim Masters’ interviews with some of the recently minted Oscar winners. That includes director Joachim Trier, who shares how he landed on casting Elle Fanning in his Best International Feature winner, Sentimental Value. Trier also talks about getting to a place where he can cast well-known actors who sign on to his films without reading a script, just because it’s him. And we hear more

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30:02

A demanding first week for Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro

The Business ·

2026/03/27

And just like that, Josh D'Amaro’s first week as CEO of The Walt Disney Company proved challenging, to say the least. From a brewing Bachelorette scandal to the abrupt cancellation of Sora by OpenAI, and fresh turmoil at Epic Games amid layoffs, Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw unpack the challenges facing Disney’s new chief.Plus, we revisit our conversation with Daryl Hannah, who joined Masters last year to discuss her Neil Young concert film Coastal, which had a

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30:02

A human conversation with the producers of ‘The AI...

The Business ·

2026/03/20

This week, Kim talks to Diane Becker and Ted Tremper about The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist. The producers discuss how they managed to land big names in machine learning, including the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic. Becker and Tremper also explain how they nearly got Elon Musk—until, surprisingly, he ghosted. They also share how they kept their brains from melting while tackling a subject as overwhelming as AI.Plus, Masters and Matt Belloni break down the

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30:02

Tilly Norwood creator defends her controversial...

The Business ·

2026/03/13

This week, Kim talks with Tilly Norwood creator Eline Van der Velden, who defends her controversial synthetic character. Van der Velden argues that Tilly Norwood is simply another character, an extension of herself, not so different from others she’s created during her years as an actress. The Particle6 Productions co-founder explains why she believes entertainment built with generative AI will find a place in the industry and predicts that more agents will follow

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30:02

A check-in with SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin

The Business ·

2026/03/06

This week, Kim talks with SAG-AFTRA president Sean Astin about stepping into the job during a tumultuous year for Hollywood. His early tenure has already included an FCC clash involving Jimmy Kimmel, the arrival of synthetic “performers,” and some wonky legal maneuvering from OpenAI. Astin discusses the most pressing issues facing the union as bargaining is underway, including wages and working conditions as well as the challenges posed by AI companies scraping

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30:02

Kleber Mendonça Filho on ‘The Secret Agent’ and...

The Business ·

2026/02/27

This week, Kim sits down with Brazilian writer-director Kleber Mendonça Filho to discuss his Oscar-nominated political thriller The Secret Agent. A former film critic, Mendonça explains why he still reads every review of his work. He also reflects on the backlash that followed his 2016 Cannes red carpet protest against Brazil’s leadership and the fallout that complicated the Oscar hopes for Aquarius. Plus, a special guest drops in for a brief chat.Meanwhile,

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30:02

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw...

The Business ·

2026/02/20

This week, Kim sits down with Academy Award–nominated cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, who made history with Sinners as the first woman of color nominated for the Oscar for Best Cinematography. She discusses her work on the film and how it evolved from a scrappy 16mm concept into a full-scale IMAX spectacle at the studio’s urging. She also addresses the mounting strain on crews as production continues to leave Los Angeles, and why meaningful opportunities for

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30:02

Palme d’Or winner Jafar Panahi on ‘It Was Just an...

The Business ·

2026/02/13

This week, Kim Masters sits down with Academy Award nominated Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi to discuss his Palme d’Or winning film It Was Just an Accident. Panahi explains why he self finances his films, bringing in partners only after he decides the work is worthy of his signature, and how he has continued to shoot in secret despite years of arrests, censorship, and government bans. He also reflects on his decision to return to Iran after the awards season, even as he

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30:01

Steamrollers, record breakers, and late surges:...

The Business ·

2026/02/06

This week, Kim Masters is joined by Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter’s Executive Editor of Awards, for a deep dive into the 2026 Oscar nominees. Feinberg unpacks the debut of the new Best Casting category and explains the strategy behind Warner Bros.' support for its Best Picture frontrunners One Battle After Another and Sinners.Plus, Masters and Matt Belloni dig into the power shifts at Disney, including Josh D’Amaro’s appointment as CEO and Dana

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30:02

Alexandria Stapleton on chronicling the rise and...

The Business ·

2026/01/30

This week, Kim speaks with Alexandria Stapleton, the DGA Award nominated director of Sean Combs: The Reckoning, a Netflix docuseries that examines the rise and fall of the hip hop mogul. Stapleton discusses partnering with executive producer 50 Cent, her approach to telling the story without turning it into a hit piece, and the care required when working with the alleged victims of Combs. She also explains how Netflix’s legal team vetted controversial pre arrest footage

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31:48

Tom Freston on building MTV during cable’s wild west...

The Business ·

2026/01/23

This week, Kim sits down with former Viacom CEO and MTV co-founder Tom Freston to discuss his memoir, Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu. From his vagabond youth to the birth of MTV and his years working under billionaire mogul Sumner Redstone, Freston reflects on a career spent shaping modern media, and weighs in on the Warner Bros. succession fight, arguing that Netflix may be the legacy studio’s best-fit suitor.Speaking of the streamer, Masters and Matt Belloni

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30:02

‘Sentimental Value’ director Joachim Trier is begging...

The Business ·

2026/01/16

This week, Kim Masters sits down with writer-director Joachim Trier to discuss his Cannes Grand Prix–winning film Sentimental Value. Trier explains how he structures his financing to preserve creative control while allowing for longer shooting schedules — and still delivering returns for his investors. He also reveals why he broke his own “no-begging the talent” rule when he persuaded newly minted Golden Globe winner Stellan Skarsgård to join the

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4:35

SPECIAL PREVIEW: Joachim Trier on 'Sentimental Value'

The Business ·

2026/01/14

Listen to a special preview of Kim Masters’ conversation with Joachim Trier about his filmSentimental Value.

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30:02

Tim Blake Nelson on balancing acting, directing,...

The Business ·

2026/01/09

Kim Masters talks with Tim Blake Nelson about his wide-ranging career in entertainment. Best known for his breakout role in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Nelson is also a director, screenwriter, and playwright, and he’s now out with a second novel, Superhero—a black comedy about the making of a big-budget comic-book film that follows executives, cast, and crew caught in the pressure cooker of a chaotic production. He also shares his perspective on the Warner Bros. sale

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30:03

Hollywood in 2026: Disney’s next CEO, industry...

The Business ·

2026/01/02

Kim Masters rings in the new year with Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw to forecast what 2026 could hold for Hollywood. The trio debates Disney’s long-simmering succession question, the impact of Trump administration tariffs on the industry, and YouTube’s growing ambitions in original programming.Plus, we revisit a conversation between Masters and Jesse Eisenberg about his award winning film, A Real Pain. The writer, director, and actor talks about the challenges of

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30:02

Megabanter 2025: Hollywood’s unraveling year of...

The Business ·

2025/12/26

This week, Kim Masters is joined by Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw for a year-end Megabanter, looking back at a messy 2025. From the devastating Los Angeles fires to the shadow cast by the Trump administration over Hollywood, the trio digs into the Skydance-Paramount deal, a surprise Warners-Netflix upset, and Disney’s move to partner with OpenAI.

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30:02

Vince Gilligan wants the audience to decide what...

The Business ·

2025/12/19

This week, Eric Deggans speaks with Vince Gilligan about his new series, Pluribus. The creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul explains how he felt being at the center of his first-ever bidding war, and how a long-standing partnership with Sony ultimately brought the project to Apple. Gilligan also reflects on why the days of writing episodic television on The X-Files shaped his love of serialized storytelling. And after years of explaining his work to fans and critics

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1,027 results

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