The Town with Matthew Belloni
The Ringer
The Ringer
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 is joined by major executives, dealmakers, and journalists, to discuss what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.
3d ago
Matt is joined by Shicong Zhu, head of West Coast Studios at DramaBox, to discuss just how successful and profitable vertical micro-dramas have become, how they are produced so cheaply, the genres that work best for vertical video, and whether this is a threat to traditional Hollywood filmmaking (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Wuthering Heights,’ ‘Goat,’ and ‘Crime 101’ (25:47). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Shicong Zhu Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
4d ago
Matt is joined by ‘Survivor’ host and showrunner Jeff Probst to go behind the scenes of one of America’s most iconic reality television shows and discuss how the show has sustained its success for 50 seasons, the complicated production challenges, how much the show costs, casting, and why no one has managed to replicate it (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Timothée Chalamet after visiting the Oscars luncheon (33:24). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Jeff Probst Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
5d ago
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to get his thoughts after attending the Netflix hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee examining the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. by Netflix. They discuss the most valid arguments made during the hearing, Ted Sarandos’s comments on theatrical distribution, and if Paramount has any chance to still win the bidding war (00:00). Later, they discuss new Disney CEO Josh D’Maro’s biggest problems to hurdle as he ushers in a new era at Disney (15:54). Finally, Matt makes a prediction about Casey Wasserman’s involvement in the 2028 Olympics (27:16). Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 5
Matt is joined by Adweek’s Bill Bradley to discuss the expensive and competitive battle of Super Bowl advertising. Bill breaks down how many ad slots are available each year, how much they cost, which parts of the game are the most lucrative, why A-lister fees for commercial cameos are going down, what’s up with those Jesus ads you see every year, the ad auction if the game goes into overtime, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a Super Bowl ratings prediction (26:41). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Bill Bradley Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 4
Matt is joined by LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield to react to Disney hiring Josh D’Amaro as its next CEO. They discuss why Disney chose the head of Disney Parks in D’Amaro rather than its cochairman of entertainment in Dana Walden, what this says about the company's priorities moving forward, whether now is the right time for Bob Iger to leave, and whether this is the beginning of a reevaluation of Disney’s entire business strategy. They also discuss why this decision could be seen as a reflection of the current state of the entertainment business (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Dracula’ (27:47). Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 3
The Town is on video! Subscribe to our new YouTube channel HERE ! Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw parse through the final batch of year-end streaming reports and bring their most interesting stats and story lines to debate what they say about the state of streaming. They discuss the overwhelming success of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' Peacock’s disastrous Q4, the power of syndicated TV shows, and the new streaming hierarchy (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Disney theme parks (30:20). Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo ZOOTOPIA 2. FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 30
Matt is joined by YouTuber Mark Fischbach (also known as Markiplier) to discuss his new movie, ‘Iron Lung,' why he adapted a low-budget indie horror video game, and how he self-financed the film and pulled off a wide release without a studio attached. Later, Mark talks about the state of the creator economy, YouTube vs. Netflix, and whether his model is viable path for other up-and-coming creators (01:31). Matt finishes the show with a ratings prediction for the Grammy Awards (25:45). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here . Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mark Fischbach Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 29
Matt is joined by producer Dave Bernad to pull back the curtain on what goes into producing 'The White Lotus' and 'Jury Duty' and discuss the challenges and misconceptions around the former show. He also talks about his old-school path to success in the industry, his past projects, and the appetite for comedy (01:40). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Send Help’ (29:30). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here . Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Dave Bernad Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
