Why Attendance Tells a Better Story Than Box Office The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-07-02 | Matt is joined by Steve Buck, chief strategy officer at EntTelligence to discuss how many people are actually going to the movies and clarify the difference between admission versus box office. Steve reveals whether rising box office grosses are matched by actual attendance, if ticket price increases and premium large format screens are actually juicing box office totals, the demos and genres that are overindexing, and some surprising political affiliations of moviegoers (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Minions & Monsters' (29:52).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Steve BuckProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon JonesTheme Song: Devon RenaldoThis episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/SpotifyThis episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com
Is Californias $750 Million Bet on Hollywood Working? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-07-11 | Matt is joined by Colleen Bell, the director of the California Film Commission, to check in on the state of film and TV production in California following the cap increase to $750M about a year ago. They discuss the increase in shoot days in California, how the new program works, whether a federal credit is coming, whether the new Los Angeles mayor and California governor will affect this program, why Netflix decided to build a headquarters in New Jersey, and how to build on the current momentum (03:03). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Moana’ (27:33). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Colleen Bell Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon RenaldoThis episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at http://join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify
We area seeing a change to the DNA of Hollywood this year. The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-07-10 | ...
Inside the Internet IP Gold Rush Sweeping Hollywood The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-07-09 | Matt is joined by producer Scott Glassgold to discuss internet IP and the short-story boom that has taken over Hollywood after major successes in ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’, whether this is a micro or macro trend, how these internet stories are developed for the big screen, and whether studios have learned the right lessons from this year (02:22). Matt finishes the show with a prediction for the 2026 Emmys (29:18). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Scott Glassgold Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at http://join.amcplus.com This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify
How do we feel about the state of DC Comics after Supergirl? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-07-07 | ...
The Biggest Winners and Losers of 2026 So Far The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-07-07 | Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to select their winners and losers in the entertainment industry so far this year, from actors with surprise hits, studio heads with embarrassing flops, CEOs of struggling companies, and producers that made huge swings that paid off.Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon JonesTheme Song: Devon RenaldoThis episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.comThis episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify
Is the Comcast-NBCU split an indictment on the big media synergy argument? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-30 | ...
Will the Comcast-NBCU Split Lead to Another Huge Hollywood Deal? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-29 | Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the news that NBCUniversal is splitting off from Comcast into a standalone company, the details of the deal, why this is happening now, and whether this opens the floodgates for more M&A (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Sony’s $100M investment in Cosm (26:45).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon JonesTheme Song: Devon RenaldoAfter false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now.The Ringer is committed to responsible trading. Please visit fanduel.com/predicts to learn more about the resources and helpline.
The backstory behind the $16M Paramount-Trump settlement. The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-27 | ...
How Larry Ellison’s Trump Bromance Is Helping WarnerMount The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-26 | Matt is joined by WSJ reporter Emily Glazer to discuss her fascinating new piece highlighting Larry Ellison’s private friendship with Donald Trump and the impact it had on the Paramount M&A saga. Emily explains why Larry and Donald seem to get along so well, why Larry is bankrolling the WarnerMount deal, and how we got here in the first place (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Supergirl’ (28:32).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Emily GlazerProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon JonesTheme Song: Devon RenaldoAfter false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now.The Ringer is committed to responsible trading. Please visit fanduel.com/predicts to learn more about the resources and helpline.
Hollywood studios are getting more and more afraid of green-lighting controversial movies. The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-23 | ...
How does the ‘Artificial’ script portray OpenAI CEO Sam Altman? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-23 | ...
Amazon Won’t Release Its Sam Altman Movie. Will Anyone? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-22 | Matt is joined by Keach Hagey, a journalist at The Wall Street Journal and author of 'The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future,' to discuss Amazon abandoning Luca Guadagnino’s movie ‘Artificial’ and looking to sell it to another studio to distribute. They talk about why Amazon made this movie in the first place, its relationship with OpenAI, their thoughts on the script and how it portrays Altman, whether any major studio will buy this movie, and how big tech has influenced Hollywood’s decision-making strategy (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the legendary Clive Davis pre-Grammys party (27:17).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Keach HageyProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Jon JonesTheme Song: Devon RenaldoAfter false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now.Alan Cumming hosts the hit series THE TRAITORS. Streaming on Peacock.
How will A.I. affect online clipping and narrative campaigns? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-21 | ...
Are viral online controversies orchestrated by the subject of the controversies themselves? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-19 | ...
The Secret Industry That Makes Movies Go Viral The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-19 | Matt is joined by journalist Lane Brown from New York Magazine to discuss his latest article digging into the insidious world of online clipping and narrative campaigning. Lane explains how virality and popularity are manufactured and engineered to resemble the improvised enthusiasm of human strangers, the companies behind these simulated trends, which movies, shows, bands, and viral moments were influenced by these tactics, how prevalent this is in media, how AI will play a role, and what to expect in the future (02:28). Matt then finishes the show with a couple of predictions about ‘Shrek 5’ and ‘The Social Reckoning’ (28:51). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lane Brown Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon RenaldoRead Lane’s piece: vulture.com/article/social-media-feeds-chaotic-good-projects-clipping.html After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. Landman Season 2: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com.
Have Platforms Unseated Content as King in Hollywood? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-17 | Matt is joined by John Mass, president of Content Partners, to discuss the massive value of owning distribution in modern Hollywood in comparison to years past, when content seemed to be the most important piece of the pie. They talk about why becoming the gatekeeper in Hollywood is so important in 2026, Fox acquiring Roku, and more (2:55). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for 'Toy Story 5' (27:33). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Mass Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo After false reports of Deborah's death, she and Ava return to Vegas. Watch now. The Madison: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com.
Fox Is Buying Roku for $22B. Is It Now a Streaming Power Player? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-16 | Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Fox’s $22 billion acquisition of Roku, why this happened, how connected TV devices are the secret gatekeepers to streaming, how this will affect the consumer, and what this says about the larger deal landscape in Hollywood (2:11). We finish the show with an update on the 2026 Box Office Draft (28:30). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. The Madison: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit http://ParamountFYC.com.
Bonus Episode! Matt Risks His Life Eating Wings With Sean Evans of ‘Hot Ones.’ The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-14 | Live from Hollywood, Matt turns the tables on 'Hot Ones' host Sean Evans. Matt eats hot wings and risks his intestinal fortitude while interviewing Sean at the 'Hot Ones' FYC event. Yes, he tries Da Bomb.Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Sean EvansProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon RenaldoIn this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now.
The ‘Obsession’ Windfall and How Indie Hits Pay Out The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-12 | Matt is joined by film producer Mynette Louie, a cohead of creative producing and assistant professor at Columbia University, to explain how the money is distributed when an indie film is a big hit. They use Curry Barker’s ‘Obsession’ as an example to discuss how the financial waterfall flows, who profits the most and the least, and the state of indie film distribution (03:14). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about '24 Jump Street' (34:18). Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Mynette LouieProducers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon Renaldo[11:20 AM]It looks like that last sentence got cut off!In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now.Landman Season 2: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit ParamountFYC.com.
The Gen Z Box Office Boom and What They Think of Spielberg, Marvel, and Star Wars The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-11 | Matt is joined by founder and CEO of Screen Engine/ASI, Kevin Goetz, to talk about his new survey of Gen Z moviegoers to explain the Gen Z box office boom, how Hollywood can better appeal to the new wave of moviegoers, as well as their opinions on major stars, directors, and legacy IP (01:54). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Steven Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ (21:36). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Kevin Goetz Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. The Madison: for your Emmy consideration in all Drama Series categories. Visit ParamountFYC.com.
Is the ‘60 Minutes’ Blowup a Threat to Ellison’s Empire? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-09 | Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the ongoing disruption at ‘60 Minutes,’ most recently the hiring of Nick Bilton as EP, and the firing of correspondent Scott Pelley. They dig into what the plan to "modernize '60 Minutes'” actually means, what this says about David Ellison’s leadership, if this threatens the Ellison media empire, and ultimately if this could stop the WarnerMount merger (02:48). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about who will attend the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn on Sunday, June 12 (28:59). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo For more information visit Hulu.com/FYC In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now.
BACKROOMS director Kane Parsons on using generative AI for creative works of art. The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-04 | ...
Backrooms’ Director Kane Parsons on Bursting into Hollywood, Internet Fandom, and Old IP The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-04 | (00:00) Matt is joined by Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old director of ‘Backrooms,’ to discuss becoming the youngest filmmaker to open a movie no. 1 at the box office, his experience transitioning from YouTube to the big screen, what he wants to do with his newfound success, how he uses the internet, and more (01:56). Matt finishes the show with opening weekend box office predictions for ‘Scary Movie 6’ and ‘Masters of the Universe’ (30:18).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Kane ParsonsProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon RenaldoIn this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now.Book a new kind of stay at HolidayInn.com
Was ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ a blip or a big problem for the Star Wars franchise? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-03 | ...
Is This Hollywood’s First Practical Solution to Control AI? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-03 | Matt is joined by RSL Media Founder Nikki Hexum to discuss her non-profit founded with actress Cate Blanchett that aims to protect artists against AI by requiring a consent framework for name, image, and likeness. Nikki outlines the infrastructure of her company, why this is necessary, how this era of AI is similar to the Napster era from the early 2000s, and why an AI company would participate in this (03:03). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Taylor Swift’s new song in 'Toy Story 5' (28:04).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Nikki HexumProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon RenaldoIn this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. Watch Deli Boys at hulu.com.Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Terms apply.
The Right and Wrong Lessons From ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-06-02 | (00:00) Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss what movie studios should learn from the remarkable weekend at the box office, whether this is really like the '70s all over again in Hollywood, the unique timing as 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' struggles at the box office, and more (02:01). Matt finishes the show with a prediction for the 2026 NBA Finals ratings (27:58).Host: Matt BelloniGuest: Lucas ShawProducers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt PevicTheme Song: Devon Renaldo
What lessons should studios learn from ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’? The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-05-31 | ...
Peter Chernin on what he finds most concerning in Hollywood The Town with Matt Belloni 2026-05-29 | ...
