"Pam Abdy & Mike De Luca"

Summary

SmartLess Podcast Episode Summary: "Pam Abdy & Mike De Luca"

Release Date: May 5, 2025
Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guests: Pam Abdy & Michael DeLuca, Co-Chairs and CEOs of Warner Brothers Motion Picture Group

---

Introduction of Esteemed Guests

In this exciting episode of SmartLess, hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett welcome Pam Abdy and Michael DeLuca, the dynamic duo steering Warner Brothers Motion Picture Group. With an impressive portfolio that includes pivotal roles in blockbuster films like Birdman, The Big Short, Dune: Part Two, and Barbie, Pam and Mike bring a wealth of experience and insight to the conversation.

Jason Bateman [09:00]: "Instead of having one person driving the factories of incredible entertainment, today we have a duo."

Building a Lasting Partnership

Pam and Mike delve into their professional journey, tracing back to their early days at New Line in the 1990s. Their shared passion for film and mutual respect laid the foundation for a robust executive partnership. Pam reminisces about their friendship sparked over a mutual love for Italian cuisine and their collaborative ventures across various studios.

Pam Abdy [12:12]: "We became best friends. She's from Jersey, I'm from Brooklyn. We're united on all things Italian food."

They discuss the unique dynamics of balancing roles on both the selling and buying sides of the industry, emphasizing how their combined expertise enhances Warner Brothers' strategic decisions.

Navigating the Producer vs. Buyer Dichotomy

The conversation shifts to the inherent challenges of being both advocates and decision-makers within the film industry. Pam highlights the dual responsibility of producers advocating for creative projects while also ensuring profitability and alignment with studio goals.

Pam Abdy [14:29]: "If you're a producer, you're advocating for a financier or a studio to greenlight you."

The hosts share personal anecdotes, including Pam’s journey overcoming a flying phobia, underscoring the resilience required in high-stakes production environments.

Insights into the Evolving Film Industry

Pam and Mike provide a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the film industry, particularly the importance of a diversified slate in catering to increasingly niche audiences. They argue that embracing a variety of genres and storytelling methods is crucial in an era dominated by streaming services.

Pam Abdy [26:20]: "We really believe in a diversified slate because we feel like the world's become pretty nichy."

Mike expands on the impact of streaming platforms, noting the shift from traditional 22-episode network shows to more concise 8-10 episode series. This transformation has reshaped audience expectations and viewing habits, prompting studios to reassess their production and distribution strategies.

Michael DeLuca [34:08]: "Streaming has created the 8 to 10 episode series as opposed to 22 on network television."

The Balance Between IP and Original Content

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the tension between leveraging established intellectual property (IP) and fostering original, innovative projects. Pam emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a balance to ensure that studios remain both profitable and creatively vibrant.

Pam Abdy [27:09]: "We have something for everyone. And you know, yes, if you're lucky enough to have IP and you can mine those franchises, great. But then it's also great to give new voices a chance, new filmmakers, directors that..."

Mike concurs, highlighting the importance of supporting emerging filmmakers who bring fresh perspectives and unique storytelling techniques to the table.

Adapting True Stories for the Silver Screen

The guests delve into the complexities of adapting true stories into films, discussing the legal safeguards and creative liberties involved. Pam explains the thorough vetting process Warner Brothers employs to ensure accuracy and avoid defamation, while also allowing for dramatic license to enhance narrative appeal.

Pam Abdy [60:57]: "We do a legal vetting of every screenplay based on a true story."

They touch upon successful adaptations like Moneyball and Captain Phillips, illustrating how fidelity to real events can be balanced with creative storytelling to produce compelling cinematic experiences.

Upcoming Projects and Future Endeavors

Looking ahead, Pam and Mike share their excitement about Warner Brothers' diverse slate of upcoming projects. From the thrill of Final Destination 6 to the originality of Zach Kraiger's Weapons, and the much-anticipated Superman reboot under James Gunn and Peter Safran’s stewardship, the duo underscores the studio’s commitment to both beloved franchises and innovative new stories.

Pam Abdy [63:34]: "Final Destination 6 is a fantastic theatrical experience."

They also highlight the revival of Warner Animation Group, promising a blend of classic and contemporary animated features that cater to a broad range of audiences.

Michael DeLuca [65:30]: "Our first movie next year is Cat in the Hat with Bill Hader as the cat. Bill’s really excited for that."

Fostering Creativity Amidst Corporate Responsibilities

Pam and Mike discuss the delicate balance between nurturing creative talents and meeting commercial objectives. They emphasize the importance of trust and collaboration with filmmakers, ensuring that creative visions are respected while also aligning with audience expectations and market demands.

Michael DeLuca [36:55]: "When you have that chemistry with a filmmaker, with a director, and when you're pushing and pulling on things, it's invigorating."

Embracing Innovation and Overcoming Industry Challenges

Addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic and the rise of streaming wars, the duo reflects on the cyclical nature of the industry and the ongoing need for adaptability. They advocate for taking calculated risks to foster innovation, ensuring that studios remain relevant and capable of meeting evolving audience preferences.

Pam Abdy [46:07]: "People are up for the theatrical experience, and they're up for a variety of movies. The bar is just higher for what will get them out of the house."

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode draws to a close, the hosts express their admiration for Pam and Mike’s leadership at Warner Brothers. The conversation leaves listeners with a sense of optimism about the future of cinema, underscored by a commitment to quality, diversity, and creative integrity.

Jason Bateman [66:30]: "It is really exciting that you guys are there and doing what you're doing and the way that you're doing it. And I'm so excited for the success."

Pam and Mike’s insights provide a valuable glimpse into the inner workings of a major film studio, highlighting the intricate balance between artistry and business. Their dedication to fostering both established IP and new creative voices positions Warner Brothers as a pivotal player in shaping the future of the entertainment industry.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Pam Abdy [26:20]: "We really believe in a diversified slate because we feel like the world's become pretty nichy."

• Michael DeLuca [34:08]: "Streaming has created the 8 to 10 episode series as opposed to 22 on network television."

• Pam Abdy [60:57]: "We do a legal vetting of every screenplay based on a true story."

• Jason Bateman [66:30]: "It is really exciting that you guys are there and doing what you're doing and the way that you're doing it."

---

This episode of SmartLess offers an in-depth exploration of the strategic and creative processes behind some of the most influential films in recent years. Pam Abdy and Michael DeLuca’s perspectives provide valuable lessons for aspiring producers, filmmakers, and anyone interested in the intricacies of the entertainment industry.

Transcript

[Jason Bateman]

Hello, friends. Jason here. We are so excited that Smartless has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. And if you want to be the first to hear new episodes ad free and a whole week early, subscribe to SiriusXM podcasts plus on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today.

[Sean Hayes]

One thing about the entertainment industry, it's easy to earn a reputation, even if it doesn't reflect who you really are. For example, everybody thinks that Discover is a card that isn't widely accepted. But in reality, it's accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Yeah, 99%. So maybe now you'll think twice before judging a book by its cover. Unless it's a book about judges going on vacation. And in that case, judge Away. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com credit card. Lowe's knows that taking on more projects should be rewarding. That's why loyalty members get more every day with rewards for every home or business purchase. Plus shop weekly member deals and get access to free stamp standard shipping. So what are you waiting for? Join for free today. Lowe's, we help you save loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. Details@lowe's.com Terms subject to change.

[Will Arnett]

Guys, breathe big. In, big out. Okay? Big in. One more. Big in.

[Jason Bateman]

Through the nose.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. And out.

[Jason Bateman]

Are you just really get into your sits bones.

[Pam Abdy]

Okay.

[Will Arnett]

Are you feeling a little bit relaxed, both of you guys? A little bit. Let me just tell you this. I took some of the smartless money and put it in Bitcoin.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, what?

[Will Arnett]

It's gonna be fine. Welcome to all new Smart List. Smart Lettuce. Smart Lattice. Smart Lattice. I'm at the office today, so I'm not.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, whoa.

[Will Arnett]

But I've got a. I've got a new.

[Jason Bateman]

What? Office. He doesn't have a fucking office.

[Will Arnett]

I have an office I've had for a couple years over here.

[Jason Bateman]

You don't need to talk all calm like it's no big deal. Let's talk about it.

[Will Arnett]

You're really impressed with offices.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I am. Remember the one we had you never showed up in.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, you know why? Because my dad spent 50 years working in an office and I'm an artist, man. No playing part of the business. I'm not playing businessman. Oh, let me go in.

[Jason Bateman]

And are you storytelling? Are you working out how to storytell?

[Will Arnett]

I'm an artist now, okay? I'm an artist.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, truly, Truly, honestly, how Long have you had this? I've never heard about it.

[Will Arnett]

A couple years. Here, do you want me to turn the camera around so you can see?

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, is this where the beast lives?

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, this is where the beast lives. Hang on.

[Sean Hayes]

Who's. What's the beast?

[Jason Bateman]

I guess we'll wait. Listener. Just wait. Will's got a. Oh, no, he doesn't need to bring in. It's not show and tell.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, oh, oh, he's got the leather. He's got like the bachelor leather.

[Jason Bateman]

Look at how unused that meeting space is.

[Will Arnett]

What are you talking about, jb? Don't forget, I grew up in a serious world. You grew up? So now you're playing make believe office manager. You've got a company.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, but there's people in my office. You've got an empty meeting space, dude.

[Will Arnett]

It doesn't matter. It's like those people who used to go, like, we're gonna have all these platforms for content and we're gonna like, what's the content? You can have. Anybody can have a office. Sean could have an office. For Christ's sake.

[Jason Bateman]

He's talking to us from. Oh, it's just off the kitchen, though.

[Sean Hayes]

Oh, by the way, this is true.

[Jason Bateman]

Ricky's bed is there below his feet.

[Sean Hayes]

Ricky's right there on the floor.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey, so how is everybody's night?

[Sean Hayes]

Everybody.

[Jason Bateman]

So listeners, we just. Or listener. Sorry, I was a little ambitious there.

[Will Arnett]

I know. God. What are you doing?

[Jason Bateman]

We. We had. We had dinner again. Our Sunday dinner. We haven't had. How long did that. Months.

[Will Arnett]

Months?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

Like two months. Yeah, that. That was fun. It was good to see everybody.

[Will Arnett]

It was really good. It was really good. It was really good to see Danny D's.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

The great Dandy.

[Sean Hayes]

He's the best. I love him.

[Will Arnett]

And Don that he and Don have are part of our regular crew now. That's really. It's nice. It's nice.

[Sean Hayes]

Did everybody sleep okay today?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, we're. We're a little tight. Yeah, I guess so. I got my PJs on still. Will. Do you wear your pajamas to the office?

[Will Arnett]

I don't. I could. It's so fat. It's a five minute drive now from my new place. It's great.

[Jason Bateman]

I bet they were very. I bet they were very happy to see you. You have not been in there for a while, fresh back from your film.

[Will Arnett]

I haven't been here in a minute. They were happy to see me and yeah, it was good. I was up super early. I'm still a little jet lagged and still coming Down. My clock is all messed up from late nights and stuff, so I don't know, just one of those. I woke up the other morning at like 4:45 and I got a coffee and then I was sitting watching outside, and I saw this huge crazy light being followed by sort of mist. It was kind of cutting through the mist, but the light was coming from behind. And I looked it up, and it turns out it was a rocket being launched from just up the coast here in California.

[Sean Hayes]

Ufo.

[Will Arnett]

It was pretty. Pretty spectacular to see at like. That's 5:30am yeah. And so I've been feeling just a little spacey, just kind of coming back.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, you're still on Eastern time, so you're still getting up. And I'll bet you were getting up at 5 in the morning over there, which was 2 in the morning here.

[Will Arnett]

So we were doing 5 in the morning like. Like Monday, Tuesdays and then immediately switching to nights. And we did that for about three weeks.

[Sean Hayes]

The little thing that I did, Jay, I was. I was there like, you know, we had night shoots and it was two in the morning.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm like, listener Sean was in it as well.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, but like two in the morning, I'm like, okay, bye everybody. I got to go home. And I looked back and I'm like, there's Willie still going till like 5, 6 in the morning. It was unbelievable.

[Will Arnett]

And. And then I've got. I've got young Denny too. So Denny's been. He's a little bit on New York Times too. So he's like, up early and, you know. Anyway, it's all good. These are. These are great problems to have. But I'm. It's nice being in California. Nice to see everybody.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm sor. About last night too. I was going to grab a bite of steak and I. I forgot I had a dinner because our friend's dog died.

[Will Arnett]

Okay, so, jb, I'm going to walk you through this because it a little bit. Felt like a lie. Not at all.

[Sean Hayes]

Not at all.

[Will Arnett]

Okay, well, hang on. And. And I don't want to meet. I guess it looks like we have a double guest coming up. But which we. Because we got two squares. But.

[Jason Bateman]

Sorry, guests.

[Will Arnett]

Sorry, guests. Plural. Jesus.

[Jason Bateman]

And then I want to. I want. And then I want to ask you if you've locked down your car and we don't need to say what kind it is.

[Will Arnett]

Okay. Yes. Yes, I have. That's. That's a lot list.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, that's nice, Bobby. Big deals at the office got himself a real nice Car this weekend. Jesus Christ.

[Will Arnett]

I know, I know. I don't want to. Let's not go too deep. So, I mean, the big. But. But I said to Sean yesterday, I talked to him in the morning, we were talking about something, and I go, oh, you know what? I think that the. The big boys, like, have stuff after school and they have, you know, music and athletic stuff. So I said, you wanna go get a dinner, grab an early dinner? He goes, yes. And they text me. He goes, oh, I forgot. Our friends. We made plans with our friends.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm like, yeah, that is.

[Will Arnett]

It felt a little excuse y.

[Sean Hayes]

Do you know what I mean? No, I swear to God. Cause the initial thing was like, yes, of course I wanna go to Jar and have a steak with you.

[Jason Bateman]

But didn't you pile on the excuse just now and say that an animal had died as well?

[Sean Hayes]

It didn't pile on. But yes.

[Will Arnett]

Well, he had friends of theirs, Kevin and Carrie.

[Sean Hayes]

You know Kevin.

[Will Arnett]

And he said that they lost their dog. I said, well, maybe we can help them find. Which is a ripoff of an old Norm MacDonald joke, by the way.

[Jason Bateman]

So wait, so they lost their dog and they needed you and Scotty to sit around them and support, you know, the doggies?

[Sean Hayes]

Like a family member?

[Will Arnett]

Jb, have you tried this? Have you tried this bar?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, I have.

[Will Arnett]

It's pretty good, right?

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, you can mention it. Maybe get some free ones.

[Will Arnett]

You know, I'm good for six bucks.

[Jason Bateman]

I'll wait till you take a bite.

[Will Arnett]

The Bear Bell. The Bear Bell bars, they're really good.

[Jason Bateman]

All right, listener, today we don't have some fishy, flashy, fancy celeb type. Not today. Today we have got not one, but two people who make the flashy, fancy types. They are two of the most important people in the industry today, period.

[Will Arnett]

Full stop.

[Jason Bateman]

Entertainment industry. Okay, okay, okay.

[Will Arnett]

Individually, the only industry in the world.

[Jason Bateman]

All right. But individually. Individually, they've been behind such movies as Birdman, the Big Short, the Revenant, the Social Network, Moneyball, Captain Phillips, Austin Powers, Boogie Night 7. Together they have combined to bring us such films as Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Wonka, Dune Part two, and Barbie. Let's find out how these two are able to bring us so much incredible entertainment. Please meet the Co Chairs and CEOs of Warner Brothers Motion Picture Group, Ham Abdy and Michael DeLuca on Smart List. Good morning.

[Will Arnett]

Good morning.

[Jason Bateman]

We're gonna have a couple of SM smart folks come on and talk to us for fucking once.

[Sean Hayes]

This is cool.

[Michael DeLuca]

I had to hold my laughter in. Oh my God.

[Jason Bateman]

I want to say Pam's still at home. Mike, you're at the office.

[Pam Abdy]

I am.

[Michael DeLuca]

I'm in the office.

[Jason Bateman]

You were both in the office.

[Pam Abdy]

We have two offices. We have an office we share and then we have a spillover office. We need to do solo things. Pam's in the spillover office.

[Will Arnett]

These are people with two offices.

[Sean Hayes]

So in all of Warner Brothers, you only have two offices.

[Jason Bateman]

Now in the shared office, do you have one of those his and her desks where you're looking at each other?

[Pam Abdy]

No. We thought about it like an old diagonal. We are like an old Howard Hawks movie, like a Ben Hecht screenplay where the, you know, Jess and the newsroom are together. But we went, I think a more realistic Jason. We're catty cornered.

[Jason Bateman]

We did have that first second.

[Will Arnett]

Jason and I had an office for a while, for a couple years where we faced each other. And he would always complain, as you can just tell this morning that I was never there. Yeah, again, my dad was in an office.

[Jason Bateman]

What happened to the company? What happened to the company?

[Will Arnett]

It went belly up like a leather. Your shitty ideas sunk it. Hey, Mike. And welcome to Smart List. Wow.

[Jason Bateman]

This is Smart List.

[Pam Abdy]

This is an honor for us. We're super fans.

[Jason Bateman]

Pam and I have threatened to do this for a long time. I'm so glad we finally found some time from your very busy schedule to do this next week.

[Michael DeLuca]

Thank you.

[Will Arnett]

Collectively, individually and collectively, you two are responsible for some of the greatest pieces of entertainment that people have enjoyed across this country ever. It's true.

[Sean Hayes]

It's really cool. Impressive.

[Will Arnett]

It is really impressive.

[Michael DeLuca]

Thank you.

[Jason Bateman]

It is now. But. But what is, what is unique, listener, is that usually the people who are driving these, these, these factories of. Of incredible entertainment is. Is usually just one person. But these, this, this is a pair. This is a duo. And this isn't the first time that you guys have done it. You came from. Tell. Tell the audience where you started to work on your. On your duo Ness.

[Pam Abdy]

Well, I got to meet Pam. I was at this company, New line, in the 1990s. It was my first job actually out of a. This is a company I joined. I was there as an intern in 85 from NYU. So I'd been at New Line for a long time and Pam worked for this company, Jersey Films, which of course produced Pulp Fiction and so many great films in the 90s.

[Jason Bateman]

Danny DeVito and Michael Schamberg and Stacy share. Yep.

[Will Arnett]

Many of my people moved to Jersey.

[Jason Bateman]

This is an ongoing dumbass pitch. Some Italian guy in the back wings that likes to comment. Sorry, push through it.

[Pam Abdy]

So that's where I met, I met Pam. Pam Jersey Films, produced a couple of movies for New Line. That's where I met Pam. We became best friends. She's from Jersey, I'm from Brooklyn. We're united on all things Italian food.

[Jason Bateman]

It's the Holland Tunnel. Apart movies.

[Pam Abdy]

And then we had a chance. We switched jobs. You know, many times I went from being an exec to being a producer. She became an exec at Paramount. I produced for her. Then when I became an executive again after producing at mgm, I invited Pam to work with me. And then we've been an executive team ever since.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, it's just like. But so, so then again, for the, for the listener, there's a, there's, there's. You can either be selling stuff or you can be buying stuff. And that, that's like a big, big difference. You know, one, obviously, you're sort of like doing the dog and show and selling your wares. And the other one, you get to sit back in the chair, fold your arms and say, sell me. Let me hear what. You've got to overly reduce it. So you guys have both, you've done both of that at very, very, very high levels. You're obviously on the premium elite buying side right now. Is there a side that you like more? I mean, obviously with the selling part, you spend more time sort of out there in the trenches and on set sometimes. And on the buying side, you're in, in a more air conditioned situation. Snacks are better, more consistent. What do you prefer?

[Pam Abdy]

Well, you know, it's different pleasures when you're a producer. You know, it's more artisanal and you're building the project from the ground up with the director. And you're just so much more intimately involved in just the creative aspects of moviemaking. And it's just a different pleasure. You're kind of part of a family that erupts, you know, as the thing starts to take shape and it's, and it's a really wonderful experience. And you're with these people for.

[Jason Bateman]

It's stressy, I bet. Yeah, because you're not in control. You're not the buyer.

[Pam Abdy]

You sing for your supper a little bit more. But we find there's advocacy on both sides. If you're a producer, you're advocating for a financier or a studio to greenlight you. But even when you have the power of the checkbook, you're still advocating for your boss or the board that you report to finance a slate of pictures and there's advocacy, kind of both versions.

[Jason Bateman]

Of the job, but the agenda is different. Yeah, Pam, I mean, you're like, while you're advocate, you need to sort of mind the asset a little bit more on the buying side and on the selling side, you can be a little bit more sort of purist and like, oh, just whatever's better for the film. I mean, I'm oversimplifying it, but you.

[Will Arnett]

Also know as both having. Having been on the other side that, you know, you. You can't bullshit a bullshitter. So if somebody comes to you and is like, hey, this. And then you're like, hey, man, I know how it's. I know how the sausage.

[Pam Abdy]

Nobody can tell Pam. Nobody can tell Pam. No producer's gonna pull the wool over Pam's eyes on budget. She can literally do both jobs, you know, with her eyes closed.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, my love. I mean, Jason knows this. Cause Jason and I have produced a movie together and worked together. My first love will always be producing because I just love the grind and being on set, as you guys know, it's just the best. There's nothing like it.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, then, do you miss that?

[Michael DeLuca]

Always. But I love this too. You know, they're not. They're not. It's not either.

[Sean Hayes]

You guys can go visit the set.

[Jason Bateman]

We do. Exactly. Anytime.

[Will Arnett]

But I am.

[Michael DeLuca]

You can't. You can't pull the wool over me.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, well, you got to really watch it. Like, if you're not in. We try to visit the set. If. If you don't visit, sometimes they think, oh, well, don't you care about us? But then when you do show up, people are worried like, oh, are we over budget? Is there a problem? Really gotta navigate that carefully of, like, when and how we show up.

[Jason Bateman]

Who's more prone to say, hey, let's go visit that set? Who. Who likes to get out a little bit more often?

[Pam Abdy]

Oh, Pam for sure.

[Michael DeLuca]

I like to go rogue.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, I have a terrible turbulence, anxiety. Like I have a flying phobia. So I do it, but. But it's not something, you know, that I volunteer for a lot.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, Will has a little bit of that.

[Will Arnett]

I do too. And it's. Yeah, it's gotten increasingly worse. And you know what? In the last couple months, it's been a little bit better. But these guys know I get quite.

[Jason Bateman]

Now where does it, like, Will, you didn't have like a bad experience, right? It's just like, as you become older. Kids.

[Will Arnett]

When I had kids. When I had kids.

[Jason Bateman]

Same. Or did you have a Bad experience?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, yeah. No, no, bad experience. Shrink told me once. It's a control issue. Obviously, a lot of people get it when they get their first dose of real responsibility. So when I got. When they. When New Line made me head of production in the 90s, I was only. I was 26, 27, and I, you know, it was the first big responsibility I ever got. That's when I got the flying phobia. And then it just. It's escalated since I've had children and gotten more responsibility, it just kind of increased exponentially.

[Will Arnett]

Have you thought about working? I have considered working through it because I know I have a friend of mine who years ago, and he had access to tremendous resources, but he went with that guy who's famous for walking people through that phobia. And he did. I think he told me he did a month of flights and he'd go to LaGuardia. He lives in New York. And they'd look at the board and they'd pick a flight and they'd fly to Cleveland, then they'd fly to Houston, then they'd fly to Miami. And he did that for about a month. And the guy walked him through, through basically every scenario, and he got over.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Well, I'm telling you, when I got stuck in that elevator, like my therapist said, the best thing you could do from now on, because then I was in such a massive panic, she goes, ride as many elevators as you possibly can.

[Pam Abdy]

Right. It's like aversion therapy. It does help. I accidentally stumbled into aversion therapy because my ex wife lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with my children, and I travel there every weekend. So I'm on planes twice a week. And it's just kind of normalized it for me. So that's helped a lot. And then information helps me. So I fly with a lot of apps. Like, I have apps going that tell me where the plane is in relation to every other plane and what the weather is like and really how I get a second. Mike.

[Will Arnett]

I'll tell you something, Mike. I do the same thing and I tell you what I've done recently.

[Jason Bateman]

While you're in the air.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. I track my own flight. And I look at AccuWeather and I look at FlightAware and to see what the thing. And I'm like, are these guys gonna go around this storm or not?

[Pam Abdy]

I'm right there with you, brother. I literally will go to the flight attendant. Excuse me, flight attendant. I noticed that this plane at 34,000ft is smooth because you perhaps ask our pilot to kick it up 2,000ft. We're bopping around at 32.

[Will Arnett]

And she goes, do you know that they now have this new software that the pilots use that shows them where turbulence is, that they all share it and it's like a Pyrex.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, Pilot. Pyrex. Pilot.

[Michael DeLuca]

Recording Will. He knows everything. I fly with him a lot.

[Will Arnett]

But here's my suggestion. This is what I. And this is recent. Just this spring, I decided to stop doing it. I had a moment, Mike, where I went, I'm not flying this plane, and the pilots don't want to die.

[Pam Abdy]

That's trust. Somehow you've achieved trust. I'm still working on trust.

[Sean Hayes]

Here's what I do. I fly the first flight out as much as I can because I'm so unbelievably exhausted. I don't care what happens.

[Pam Abdy]

Oh, are you able to sleep on planes?

[Sean Hayes]

I fall asleep in a second.

[Pam Abdy]

Oh, I'm so envious of that.

[Will Arnett]

That explains your diet, too, that you just. You don't care what happens.

[Jason Bateman]

Wait, Mike, what about a nice cool beverage to cut the edge? Or maybe a.

[Pam Abdy]

You know, I'm sober, so I'm in a lifetime timeout of anything.

[Jason Bateman]

What about. Are sleeping pills on your list of.

[Pam Abdy]

No, I can't. Yeah, they're on the no fly list for me.

[Jason Bateman]

What about melatonin? Or no.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, no, I try to do it subst free and just use my apps and engage with the flight attendants.

[Michael DeLuca]

Same when we're flying together. I'll go check on him. And then he tends to show me every app. So then I start to have a panic attack, which I don't normally have on a flight, but yes, that's what we do.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. You know what I feel would help all of us is if we flew in one of those hurricane planes that the aircraft flies. Totally.

[Pam Abdy]

I think about that often.

[Jason Bateman]

They fly literally into the wall of a hurricane to measure how do they survive the winds. Well, that's just that planes can handle so much more than you think that they can. So once you go. Once you basically scuba dive with a shark, you're no longer scared of sharks because you look them in the eye and they don't care about you.

[Will Arnett]

And by the way, by the way, I. You know, I was with my. I was talking to my therapist the other day, and it turns out that humans can withstand so much more, too.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, Will.

[Sean Hayes]

Jesus.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, you can. You can do it, Willy.

[Pam Abdy]

We are resilient.

[Will Arnett]

Humans can too.

[Michael DeLuca]

We can handle it.

[Sean Hayes]

Now.

[Jason Bateman]

Now, let's talk about real fear. Let's talk about budgets.

[Will Arnett]

Let's talk about Dave Zaz. Let's talk about Zaz knocking on the door.

[Sean Hayes]

But also, but like to Jason's point though too, like, I want to get into that because I'm fascinated watching from the sidelines about movies and stuff. And like, why, you know, what is your opinion about. Because you, I'm sure you guys talk about this. We all talk about. Everybody in the business talks about what's the state of the business? Because it seems like, first of all, it seems like you tell me. The perception is that the star of any movie now is the idea. Because movie stars, at least there are some that can still. You go, oh, I wanna see that person. I like that person, I like that person. But for the most part, do I have that right? Or is it.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, like stars used to open films and now it's a little bit more plot and premise driven to drive audience.

[Pam Abdy]

I think there's an element of truth to that. However, you see, each new generation kind of wants, they still want to create their own movie stars. So you have people like Timothee Chalame and Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, like, you know, basically any. Anyone on the red carpet for Barbie or Dune is an example of, you know, young, young audiences creating new movie stars.

[Sean Hayes]

What brought audiences to that is the concept before the star, right?

[Pam Abdy]

It's exponential. If you can, if you can combine. No, I think, I think Chalamet playing Bob Dylan was a great example for sure. Combining, you know, something iconic with, with an actor. People, clearly, I think there's opportunities to create new movie stars. Movie stars still matter. But it is, you know, with the advent of streaming where people get so much content, you know, constantly. You do need that sticky idea and that provocative, audacious kind of concept to.

[Jason Bateman]

Break through with a pre existing IP like Superman.

[Will Arnett]

Well, we've been. And we've been inundated, right? Who is it who said Tom Rothman who said, you know, the tyranny of ip and we've been inundated with it. Right? And is there something.

[Jason Bateman]

Says the guy who only has one Marvel title.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Way to go. Way to go. Now you just made his shit list.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh no, I love him.

[Will Arnett]

No, no, no, I'm kidding. He's a great.

[Jason Bateman]

And we will be right back.

[Sean Hayes]

Stop. Allergy season in its tracks with big savings from Goodrx seasonal allergy medication starts at just $15. So you and your family can kick those itchy eyes, st noses and scratchy throats straight to the curb. Check Goodrx before every trip to the pharmacy to save up to 80% on both brand name and generic medications. GoodRx is free and easy to use. Just search for your prescription on the website or the app, compare prices and get a free coupon to show your pharmacist. Use GoodRx to save at over 70,000 local pharmacies nationwide, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Publix, Kroger and many more. Remember, GoodRx works with or without insurance and could beat your insurance copay price. Don't let allergies slow you down. Down. Save big on allergy medications this season with goodrx. Go to goodrx.com smartless that's goodrx.com smartless.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you to Paramount plus for sponsoring today's episode of Smartless. Have you always wanted to get into soccer but never knew where to start? Paramount plus is the home of the UEFA Champions League champions. Let David Beckham and Friends help get you started with a new, completely unique way to watch the biggest soccer tournament in the world stream the UEFA champions league semifinals plus the Beckham and friends live simulcast exclusively on Paramount Plus. Visit paramountplus.com live sports to get started.

[Sean Hayes]

A recent ZipRecruiter survey found that 76% of employers plan to expand headcount for 2025. That's a lot of time spent hiring. If you're one of these employers who's ramping up hiring this year, don't miss out on this advice. Add ZipRecruiter's latest feature, Zip Intro to your hiring plan. It lets you post jobs today and talk to qualified candidates tomorrow. Best of all, it does most of the work for you, so you save time. And right now you can try Zip Intro for free at ZipRecruiter.com SmartList Zip Intro gives you the power to quickly assess excellent candidates for your job via back to back video calls. You simply pick a time and Zip Intro does all the work of finding and scheduling qualified candidates for you. Then you can choose who you want to talk to and meet with great people as soon as the next day. Hey, so easy. Save time hiring for 2025 with new Zip Intro. Just go to ZipRecruiter.com Smartless right now to try Zip Intro for free. Again, that's ZipRecruiter.com SmartLess Zip Intro post jobs today. Talk to qualified candidates tomorrow. And now back to the.

[Will Arnett]

My question is, I guess in the face of all of that is there? And be as candid as you want to be. You're Comfortable as being given. If. All things being equal, if you could control the appetite of filmgoers and people who go into theaters, what would you do? What kind of films would you make? Would you greenlight? Would you develop? All things being equal.

[Pam Abdy]

All things being equal, we really believe in a diversified slate because we feel like the world's become pretty nichy. So we try to have something for everyone. So all your eggs aren't in one basket. You know, it's almost impossible even for Disney, which owns those four giant labels of Lucasfilm and Pixar and Marvel. You can't have a 20 tentpole slate. There's just not that much IP available to just have nothing but billion dollar movies every year. Although we certainly love it and everybody tries.

[Jason Bateman]

But there's room for the originals too, like what you guys just did with Sinners, right?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, we think a balanced slate. We have something for everyone. And you know, yes, if you're lucky enough to have IP and you can mine those franchises, great. But then it's also great to give new voices a chance, new filmmakers, directors that.

[Jason Bateman]

So if you could change one thing, you'd maybe try to get the audience to be a little bit more thirsty for something weird and original and without.

[Pam Abdy]

I think they are, yeah. I think if we could change anything, it would be to get our fellow studios to make more movies. I think box office, just because the amount of films has never really ticked back up since the Pandemic started to receive well.

[Sean Hayes]

And also you can just get it on streaming.

[Michael DeLuca]

I mean, the other thing I think that's important for the audience now is directors. I think there is a relationship with this next generation where they can tell when a signature filmmaker has their voice on a movie. They can tell that, like a Jordan.

[Jason Bateman]

Peele or Ryan Cooper.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, Jordan Peele or Ryan Coogler or Greta Gerwig or Chris Nolan, Paul Thomas Anderson.

[Pam Abdy]

They could sense authorship or the lack of it. They really can.

[Will Arnett]

Jason Bateman. Bateman.

[Jason Bateman]

Jason Bateman, Absolutely.

[Pam Abdy]

Jason Bateman. We're waiting for a much bigger filmography man, a Jason Bateman picture.

[Will Arnett]

He refers himself in the third person a lot. Do you know that I think the world needs another Jason Bateman picture?

[Michael DeLuca]

I told you, I told Jason to start directing when we were making Identity.

[Will Arnett]

He's such a good director and we, and, and we always encourage him to make more comedies too, because he said a funny mofo. But, but can I ask you this, though? Just, just while we're on this topic, is there. And again, at the, at the risk of, of I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings, but. But is. Is there. Has the. The. The sort of. The onslaught of ip. And again, we, We. There are lots of great films that have come out in this era, and there are a lot of people that. Whom we all know and love who have. Who have made these and have done really well. And Bubba, the list is very long. But have we, in a certain way, have we dulled our taste buds for other kinds of films? Have we changed? Is there a chance that we altered people's tastes because the big things are.

[Jason Bateman]

So loud and sticky now?

[Will Arnett]

Well, yeah, that we don't. You know, we're all older, we're all the same sort of generation. We were all raised on a diversified slate of films that came out every year. And there were lots of comedies and dramas, action, et cetera, et cetera.

[Jason Bateman]

And so we had the verdict in Raging bull and Kramer vs Kramer, which now you can't have those sort of adult dramas.

[Will Arnett]

And so now everything's been kind of. It's kind of like, you know, it's what people complain about, pop music, if you will, that everything just becomes the very, you know, homogenized and very much the same. And have we damaged tastes?

[Pam Abdy]

I don't think so. I think. And again, because the tastes are always refreshed by new audiences coming up, I think. I think what's happened is the bar has just gotten higher for what we consider theater worthy criteria. You know, things that will make something not streaming but theatrical. But I think when you see a spread of theatrical successes from Long Legs or everything everywhere all at once from the neons and the A24s, they're not tent poles, they're not making a billion dollars globally, but they are pulling in audiences theatrically. And then on our side of the street, when you have something as diverse as Minecraft, and then the next weekend, sinners are at Universal, Oppenheimer, and then we had Barbie, I think that people are up for the theatrical experience, and they're up for a variety of movies. The bar is just higher for what will get them out of the house. And that's our job, to meet that higher bar.

[Jason Bateman]

And it's less about how theatrical is not as good. It is more about how streaming is more appealing. And there's good stuff to watch at. And so convenient.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, they're not mutually exclusive.

[Pam Abdy]

There's enough to go around. Yeah, I think. I think there are. There are consumers that are happy to wait for streaming or watch streaming originals. And then there's consumers that Want the theatrical experience.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. And there are people who don't want to ever leave their house. Right. Who don't want to go. They won't even go to Larchmont, even though it's three blocks away. Right.

[Pam Abdy]

I wonder who that could be.

[Michael DeLuca]

You can get everything on your phone.

[Will Arnett]

Go ahead.

[Jason Bateman]

Now. But you said, but you said you'd love it if studios made more movies.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

What do you think is the primary reason that they're not making more movies? Because it's getting increasingly more expensive to build a sort of a public profile for it, like a marketing profile. Like you gotta have, you gotta buy a bunch of commercials for it and sort of build that social pressure to go see this thing. Because everyone's seeing the billboards and the commercials and oh my God, I guess I gotta go see that because I gotta talk about it at work. It's cost so much money to buy those commercials and those billboards that people say, ah, maybe I'll just make it for streaming where I don't need to do all that stuff. It's just production costs. Is, is that one of the big things that.

[Michael DeLuca]

No, I think, I think it's about. Yes, it's expensive to make some films, but you can make films at different, you know, different budget levels depending on, depending on what it is.

[Jason Bateman]

But isn't the, the price to sell them this.

[Michael DeLuca]

But I think you have to meet, I think, I think marketing has changed and I think you have to meet the cons, like the audience where they're receiving their advertising.

[Jason Bateman]

So not necessarily a 30. Right.

[Michael DeLuca]

Not necessarily a 30 second linear TV spot, but like digitally like what we saw. Just how we saw the fervor of Minecraft with the chicken jockey and the memes taking on a life of its own, coupled with two weeks later sinners and like Mike and my TikTok feed just filling with people, you know, experiencing this film like that was magical. Like magical to see that happen. And I think that's where they are.

[Pam Abdy]

I think every legacy studio, by legacy studio, I mean, you know, the Paramount, Sony, us, the non streamers coming out of the pandemic everyone is cautious about. Okay, is box office down because the pandemic irrevocably altered viewing habits? Or is box office down because we're making less movies? You know, Pam and I feel like it's because we're making less movies. Some people feel human behavior may have been altered and the audience may be never coming back at the level they were in pre pandemic. So I think as everybody tries to figure out the answer to that. It's a very fluid situation. Working your slate back up to 10, 15, 20 movies a year is going to be a slow, cautious process. Everyone's kind of feeling their way of. What's exactly causing the downturn? Is it the hangover from the pandemic or is it that we're not making the same amount of movies?

[Sean Hayes]

Right. Almost to that point, it seems like, and you guys tell me, more people than ever out of work in the history of the entertainment business. It seems like writers that used to work all the time can't find a gift. Actors, directors, producers, crew, everybody. Why is that in your opinion? And what does your crystal ball say about the future of that? Do you see that changing? Like Village Road Show? Didn't they just go bankrupt or something? It just seems like the entertainment business is collapsing.

[Jason Bateman]

It's constrict. Yeah, it's getting smaller because there's less stuff.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, there's work, there's. There's been some consolidation, you know, in the industry. So that, that immediately means less buyers on the block. There was a contraction in production, you know, both on the series side and the feature side. You know, as we were navigating the pandemic and then, you know, the so called streaming wars, which were never really a war. Netflix won that war before it even started. They had a 20 year head start. I do think things are picking up and will take maybe not to pre pandemic levels, but I think that has been a symptom of.

[Will Arnett]

It's all cyclical. Right, Pam?

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, I was just gonna say just the studio's making less movies like we were saying. But also if you go to TV, streaming has created the 8 to 10 episode series as opposed to what we all grew up with on network television with 22 episodes. And you constantly felt like, you know, you had all those linear networks that were creating multiple shows, filling must see TV and all that stuff. And I feel like that has been altered, you know, quite a bit since the streaming and since the pandemic used.

[Will Arnett]

To do how many 24 episodes a year on Will and Grace?

[Sean Hayes]

Sometimes 22, sometimes 26, sometimes 23.

[Pam Abdy]

It was crazy, amazing.

[Will Arnett]

And then they don't Ozark. How many do you guys do?

[Jason Bateman]

Just 10.

[Will Arnett]

JB 13. 10. And they're remaking it, right. They're doing it with robots and they said it's got more life to it.

[Jason Bateman]

You see the way he can set it works that way. Right in there. Hit it.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, they said it's good. Yeah, it breathes more.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, but. Oh, shoot, what was I gonna say?

[Pam Abdy]

By the way, will we use LEGO Batman in every tribute reel to Warner? Every best of Warner Brothers reel that we screen at Cinemacon, we always include Lego Batman.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, it's our favorite.

[Jason Bateman]

I won't do that to him, Mike. He's gonna dine out on that.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you.

[Michael DeLuca]

We love it.

[Jason Bateman]

So, guys, you have been uniquely great individually and also together in really getting behind some of the more specific creative voices behind these movies. People like Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher, et cetera, et cetera. When you are collaborating with someone like that, who they like to keep the edges on, and that's what the audience likes, too. But sometimes, oftentimes that's at odds with the goal to get as many people into the tent as possible, buying a ticket and making it mass appeal and around the edges sometimes, and not be as controversial, not be as challenging. How do you manage that on the producing side, on the selling side, it's probably a lot easier. But in your current roles, as trying to bring in profits as well, are those conversations difficult? Do you err on one side or the other? Walk us through that a little bit.

[Michael DeLuca]

I find it because of our background. I mean, listen, I'm 30 years in Mike's longer than that. We're just a little.

[Pam Abdy]

It's very polite of you, Pam. Thank you for saying, wow, not naming the number of years.

[Michael DeLuca]

I'm just saying I'm 30 years and whatever. But I think because both he and I have been in the trenches on a producerial side, there's a certain level of understanding and trust that we bring to this job. So the filmmakers that we work with, some of them, we've had long relationships. Like we're working with Alejandro and Yurichu right now. I'm on my fourth film with him. I think there's a trust, there's a collaboration, there's a respect. I mean, you have to earn the filmmaker's respect, you know? So I think what we bring to the table is because we have this knowledge of being on the ground and going through the ups and downs and the difficulties of what it is to be on set every day and try to make something great, because we all set out to make something great, and sometimes shit happens and it doesn't come out exactly how you envisioned it. You have to be. You have to be in lockstep together as creative partners. So I think Mike and I try to approach it that way. Where we look at filmmakers as our partners, we all have the same end goal to make something great and to get the biggest audience in the theater to see it. So I don't find it difficult. I actually find it invigorating.

[Will Arnett]

Well, that's really funny, Pam. That's really funny because you often hear people. You do in comments and stuff, saying, these people in Hollywood, and they just want to make shit movies. Like, nobody sets out to make a shitty movie, by the way.

[Pam Abdy]

Everybody's intentions are good, and there's no blanket statement for Hollywood. Like, it's so different. Our friend Donna Langley at Universal is different than Tom Rothman at Sony. We do our thing at Warner's. Like, it's not Donna.

[Jason Bateman]

Another one from New Line that started out. Not as an intern, right?

[Pam Abdy]

No, we actually hired Donna. She was an assistant to a manager at the time.

[Will Arnett]

Wow.

[Pam Abdy]

And she. You know, and she. And another executive, Mary Parent, who went on to do great things and is running legendary for Josh Groed New Line. It was a great kind of training ground for a lot of people in the 90s. And you met Donna and you knew she was gonna run an empire someday. I mean, she was just born to.

[Jason Bateman]

Do it and has been in that position of leadership longer than anyone. Yeah, yeah. Like, ever. Through multiple regimes, running Universal. It's just, by the way, the people.

[Will Arnett]

Who'Ve come in and out of New Line, it's a pretty interesting slate of, now that I think about it, all the people. Brenner's still there with you, right?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

And.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yep, he is.

[Sean Hayes]

Then you've got Toby Emmerich.

[Will Arnett]

Wasn't obviously Toby.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And then you have our buddy Ken Alterman, who.

[Jason Bateman]

Love. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Who is there. Who. We're still. Jason, I still play golf with.

[Pam Abdy]

We love Alterman's great love.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

And I'm just thinking, like, wow, that that was. What an interesting place that was for a lot of people who kind of, you know, learned their stuff there.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah. We were given the freedom to really run our projects. And even though you're an executive, you almost behaved like a producer at New Line at that time. So we all learned a lot.

[Will Arnett]

Interesting.

[Jason Bateman]

And it really does seem like you guys are creating that or continuing that environment of trust and deference to a very specific filmmaker agenda. Like something like Sinners, for example. Like, I have not seen it yet, but from what I've seen from the materials and heard from people, it's a very, very specific and exciting creator responses for it. We're so happy selling popcorn and getting incredible reviews. So, like, that's. That's the mother lode right there. Right. So talk about how frightening that can be to. While you, as you say, Pam, you're a partner with the filmmaker, you're coming from a place of shared experience, and you kind of know what they're going through and blah, blah, blah. But eventually, one has to just kind of close your eyes and jump in and just say, all right, Ryan, I get what you're going for here. We're really not going to be able to gauge until we're done. And so we have to trust you. We have to wait till after principal photography, get through post, have all that music come in and the color, timing, and all that stuff to create this very finely cooked meal that it looks like nothing coming out of the grocery store. You look at all the ingredients. You don't know what you've got until it's cooked. And so you have to give him all of that Runway. Is that really, really frightening or is it exciting? Or both?

[Will Arnett]

And we'll be right back.

[Jason Bateman]

Sorry, we gotta reload.

[Will Arnett]

No, it is a good question. It is a good question. It was long, but it is a good question.

[Michael DeLuca]

I find it exciting. I have to be honest. I think when you have that chemistry with a filmmaker, with a director, and when you're pushing and pulling on things, it's not like. Like we're just sitting here saying, hey, go off and run in the field and make this movie. You know, we're all talking all the time through the script process, through run in the field.

[Pam Abdy]

Like, run.

[Michael DeLuca]

I don't know.

[Pam Abdy]

It's just, you know, running field.

[Michael DeLuca]

Go off and play it and play and play.

[Will Arnett]

Be a new. People are going to start to use this, by the way. This.

[Michael DeLuca]

Thanks, Will. Thanks for Mike teasing me. Thanks, Will.

[Will Arnett]

Netflix meeting tomorrow. They're going to be like, look, we could be running in the field over here. Ted doesn't want us. Ted doesn't want us running in the.

[Jason Bateman]

Exactly.

[Michael DeLuca]

We're gonna.

[Jason Bateman]

I just want to run in the field.

[Michael DeLuca]

Frolicking, you know, having a good time.

[Pam Abdy]

It's gonna be the Variety headline tomorrow. Like, Pam Abbey of Warner Brothers advocates field running as a.

[Jason Bateman]

As a business stock price.

[Michael DeLuca]

By the way, the last six weeks I've been having, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Will Arnett]

Anyway, Warner Brothers, Warner ankles field running.

[Pam Abdy]

But, you know, Ryan, when you're dealing with, like, Ryan comes to the table trailing, you know, like, 2 billion in box office. Like, he. Yes, you could call it ip, but he created the Creed franchise out of his head. And Black Panther. You know, I'm a comic book fan. I'm a huge comic book collector. Still and geek fan. And I knew the Black Panther character, but it's not like that was one of the top 10 characters. Ryan created that franchise also again, out of his mind, obviously, under the brilliant Kevin Feige. But so when you're doing a film with Ryan Coogler, who has that pedigree, it is a little bit of a hedge against the unknown. I mean, greenlining movies at a studio is like being at a casino. You have a certain amount of money and you're placing bets and you're hoping more than work, than don't work. But the only hedge against the unknown is sometimes you can point to someone's track record. You know, like when we hired David fincher to do seven. You know, I happen to thought, I thought Alien 3 was a beautiful movie. It didn't work as big as they wanted to commercially, but there was tremendous artistry. And of course he had all his music, his music videos and his commercials before that point made hiring him for seven very, very easy. We were lucky to have him. So when you can look at someone's pedigree, whether they're established like Ryan, or a new voice coming up, like, we just made a movie with this guy, Zach Kreger, who did the movie Barbarian, and I think he's an amazing.

[Sean Hayes]

I love that movie.

[Pam Abdy]

Wasn't that an amazing movie? Totally unique. Surprising in the genre, innovated within the genre. You know, we were lucky to get his next movie. When you can look at someone's previous work. Also another great horror movie that came out, Talk to Me, you know, by these two directors who started on a YouTube channel, Raka Raka in Australia. Oh, wow. When you can look at people's previous work, it gives you a little bit of a hedge against the unknown. And that helps us make that call sometimes.

[Will Arnett]

There used to be that old adage or that thing that people would say that the studios are in the business of not making movies. Right. Do you remember now is that true?

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, I remember that. I remember when they used to.

[Jason Bateman]

There was a period, right? Yeah, studios were playing.

[Pam Abdy]

There was a period when I was a non writing producer, which is literally like Willy Loman with scripts under your arm, like driving all over town, you know, pitching your, pitching your wares.

[Sean Hayes]

That was just from somebody who just got. You get somebody passed on.

[Michael DeLuca]

They're like, yeah, movies are.

[Sean Hayes]

Studios are making a movie.

[Pam Abdy]

Studios would almost be like, we dare you to make a movie. We dare you to get us to make a movie. And that I find not a helpful attitude.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah, that's not Helpful. I also don't think you can declare, I think that was like in the early 2000s will, when people after the boom of the 90s and where starting to shift and Internet and all that stuff was happening in tech and everything. I just don't think you can declare any one thing. Right. You can't say this is the way it is. So we shouldn't make these kinds of movies until one works.

[Pam Abdy]

Although when we lost DVDs, when DVDs went away, we did lose a safety net. We did. And streaming doesn't quite make up that gap because we are working without a net, you know. But I also think, as Pam said, that can be really exciting because it just, I think for the consumer it means that the bar for quality really, really has to be high to get you to get out of your house and convert to being a ticket buyer.

[Will Arnett]

But people couldn't, they couldn't have predicted back then in the early 2000 what it was going to become. And I think that that sort of fear. So you know, as you said that you lost DVDs however, everybody was so nervous at the advent of the Internet and social media. You remember the fear. I remember, I remember the first when MySpace took off and people were trying to greenlight movies with people who had a presence on MySpace and everybody's clamoring people were not able to predict what it would be in the same way that we can't now with things like AI et cetera. And of course we're going to look back in 10 years and say, my God, we were so foolish to spend so much time worried about X, Y and Z. I agree. Because obviously something else will happen. People will want to watch stuff, people will want to enjoy stuff. Stuff in some way.

[Michael DeLuca]

And, and, and there is the com. They want the communal experience, you know, for certain kinds of films they want to go and sit with their neighbors and go watch the movie and then go to a cafe afterwards or a bar and have a drink and talk about it.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah, and I get that being in a, being in a big, a big dark room with a bunch of strangers. It's really fun to like get a, get a, get a shared.

[Sean Hayes]

My twenties, my twenties in Chicago.

[Will Arnett]

Berlin. For me, that's Berlin. Twice a year. I allow myself twice a year.

[Jason Bateman]

We'll be right back.

[Michael DeLuca]

Three couples, four vacations, a lot to unpack. Watch the Four Seasons, a new series starring our comedy favorites Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo Will Forte and more in a hilarious and heartfelt love letter to long term relationships. Based on the original Alan Alda film. Watch the four Four Seasons streaming now only on Netflix.

[Sean Hayes]

So I'm in New York right now, and every single time I'm in New York, that means I'm going to be walking a lot, and I mean a lot outside. So when I leave my apartment, I have to make sure I have a backpack or something on me with something that's going to hydrate me. And that's where Liquid IV comes in. No day bag is complete without liquid IV. IV. Break the mold and own your ritual. Just one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone, providing three times the electrolytes of the leading sports drink. It's powered by Liquid IV Hydro Science, an optimized ratio of electrolytes, essential vitamins and clinically tested nutrients that turn ordinary water into extraordinary hydration. Drink one before a workout when you're feeling run down after a long night out or whenever you need a little extra hydration throughout the day. Like I said, I put Liquid IV in a water bottle, I fill the water and I go out the door here in New York because I know I'm going to be out long. I need to drink something that's going to hydrate me, and it's perfectly convenient. Ready up for a long day with extraordinary hydration from Liquid IV. Get 20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to liquid I.com and use code smartless at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with code [e-mail] thank you to Paramount for sponsoring today's episode of Smartless. Paramount is the home of the UEFA Champions League. The UEFA Champions League has reached the knockout stage where the best of the best in European club soccer face off to be crowned champions of Europe. Watch the best coverage of the best soccer in the world all season long. Live on Paramount. Experience the excitement of every single match live exclusively on Paramount. Visit paramountplus.com livesports to get started and back to the show.

[Jason Bateman]

But to like everybody, be in the same room all at the same time. Get scared. I get why horror movies make so much money.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, for sure.

[Jason Bateman]

Now to think about, you know, crying next to a stranger. I get how maybe dramas. I'd rather maybe see that at home on a streamer. I get that. What I don't get is that there isn't the desire for a shared experience with laughter in a group of people like, so tell us what you guys think. What is your theory of why comedy is such a hard sell in movie Theaters nowadays.

[Sean Hayes]

I'm going to jump in real quick with a super fast answer. And you guys, it's because comedy now you can get on your phone in little tiny bites and you're fulfilled. And I think that that has some.

[Jason Bateman]

That does make.

[Will Arnett]

Thanks, Sean.

[Jason Bateman]

You're welcome. Part of this.

[Sean Hayes]

I gotta run. I gotta run.

[Will Arnett]

Tik Tok Tik. So sorry.

[Sean Hayes]

I'll talk to you guys.

[Pam Abdy]

Sean Hay is brought to you by Netflix.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yes, exactly.

[Jason Bateman]

Tik Tok, by the way, think about.

[Will Arnett]

People used to go to theaters to watch porns together.

[Sean Hayes]

What do you think about.

[Will Arnett]

That's over now, right, Sean? That's over now, right.

[Pam Abdy]

But I think, you know, a lot of comedy has gone to live on streaming and TikTok in short form. However, I do think that theatrical audience is there. I thought Jen Lawrence's movie no Hard Feelings was a good shot at it. And I do think one for Tom.

[Jason Bateman]

Tom got right. Tom Rothman.

[Pam Abdy]

Yep. Tom Rothman, you're badass. Also this guy. I'm going to give Tom Rothman too. Anyone but you came out and worked the actor.

[Will Arnett]

Thank you, Mike, for showing Jason up. Jason, Tommy's so mad at you.

[Michael DeLuca]

Tom movies.

[Will Arnett]

Tommy's mad at you now also.

[Sean Hayes]

Comedy's different now. Comedy's different than when we grew up. It's told in a different way and it's different.

[Pam Abdy]

But I think if you had, you know, if you had. We want to bring R rated comedy back. We want to bring romantic comedy back. But if you. I do think it's a case. If you build it, they will come. We just. So much of the talent, the new talent has gone directly right into, you know, streaming and, and, and TikTok and YouTube that we're just, we're just trying to, to, to steer them back to. Look, let's take a shot with an original script. Let's take a shot with it.

[Will Arnett]

Well, we had Blum. We had Blum on here a while ago and Jason Blum because he. Yeah, Tracy knows because she heard it and, and we had Blum on here because. Because he basically forced us to have him on. And we love it. We love him. We love him. We love him. It's a joke. He was. Yeah, we love him. I couldn't love him more. But we did talk to him about the cause. He was, you know, he's obviously the master of horror in horror. And I said, why can't we make a comedy? He said, you just can't make any money. And he was quite blunt about it.

[Jason Bateman]

No. Yeah, we're gonna Prove him wrong.

[Pam Abdy]

I'm just suspicious of blanket statements like that because everybody says so. My career is 40 years now since 1985.

[Jason Bateman]

You look great.

[Pam Abdy]

Every time someone says thank you so much. I, I think every time someone says, this will never work again, and then something comes out and proves it wrong. I remember R rated comedy was dead and then American Pie came out and suddenly everybody had to have an R rated comedy. Hollywood can be such a pack animal sometimes, and I just am very suspicious of blanket statements.

[Will Arnett]

And reactionary too, right?

[Michael DeLuca]

Yes, very.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

One of the greatest things I ever heard is everybody wants to be the second person to say yes.

[Jason Bateman]

Right.

[Pam Abdy]

That's a great, that's a great, great quote.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah. But it's more fun being first through the door.

[Jason Bateman]

That's true.

[Michael DeLuca]

It just did.

[Will Arnett]

Of course.

[Pam Abdy]

Look, this could be famous last words, but Pam, for better or worse, Pam and I feel like you can't do this job if you're afraid of getting fired. You gotta be fearless in it because if you breed risk out of the system, then innovation dies and the customer moves on.

[Michael DeLuca]

And it also breeds a culture of people not wanting to pitch exciting new ideas. And just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean it's not gonna work. And I just think you could do both.

[Pam Abdy]

You could walk and chew gum at the same time. You can mine your ip, your franchises, but you can also try to find that next generation of filmmakers that'll give you new franchises.

[Jason Bateman]

Speaking of ip, you know, you mentioned earlier, you're a big comic book collector, Mike, and so one of the things you guys get to oversee is DC and James Gunn and Peter Safran in there and tell us what you're excited about coming out of there.

[Pam Abdy]

Well, actually, we have to stipulate DC reports directly to David Zaslav. We don't oversee it, but we were big supporters of Peter and J.

[Jason Bateman]

Taking the job, working concert with.

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, we agree that that label, you know, really could have. We thought. Our advice when we were asked is it, it doesn't need another career executive, it needs a storyteller in charge. You know, we were really impressed with Pixar. They brought Pete Docter, who's a filmmaker in from the field to be chief content officer and preside over their slate of movies. And I, James, you know, I used to chase James as a producer when he did slither and started with his low budget movies. And he's really unique And I think DC's in great hands with the two of them. We've seen an early Cut of Superman. And I don't want to bury the lead. There's a lot of marketing about to roll out on the way to its release. But he really understood the assignment. His heart's in the right place. His aim is true. And we're really excited about their new version of dc.

[Will Arnett]

That's right.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Michael DeLuca]

James is great.

[Jason Bateman]

It's awesome for the whole studio, though, because it allows for you to sort of cross promote and like, what is the rising tides, Will? What's the saying?

[Will Arnett]

Well, all boats.

[Michael DeLuca]

All boats ride, right?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

What do you guys think?

[Will Arnett]

You're gonna love the Real World at some point.

[Jason Bateman]

I just knew I was gonna get it slightly wrong.

[Will Arnett]

Honestly. Really enjoyable.

[Pam Abdy]

It's nice that you guys have each other's backs.

[Michael DeLuca]

I know.

[Will Arnett]

I love it. Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

What do you guys think about, like, remember Quibi when Quibi came out, which may or may not.

[Will Arnett]

Promise to never bring up Quibi again.

[Jason Bateman]

Come on, Sean.

[Will Arnett]

What are you doing?

[Sean Hayes]

Wait.

[Will Arnett]

Now you hurt Rothman. Now you're hurting Jeffrey.

[Sean Hayes]

I didn't say anything about it. I just said you remember it.

[Will Arnett]

I'm kidding.

[Michael DeLuca]

I do remember it.

[Sean Hayes]

Okay. And I just read an. I didn't read the whole thing. I read a blurb about that that's coming back now. Like short, short little things, like short episodes that are two minutes long and they're really picking up. And kids on social media are loving it. They want a whole season of like 2 minute episodes and 102 minute episodes or something that tell a story. What do you think about that? Is that true and is that really picking up Steam?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah. I personally think YouTube and TikTok and some of the platforms are really about user generated content and I think that's great. And I think some of the user generated content kind of will evolve into scripted content occasionally. But in a way, when Quibi debuted, I'm not an mba. I'm not half as smart as a lot of the people involved who ran that company. And I would never say that I know better. I did think, though, like, YouTube kind of has that base covered even then in terms of. And you know, I thought what people really love about those platforms and short form content is that it's user generated. There's no distributor involved. It's the creation directly to their audience.

[Sean Hayes]

That's right. And it's for those platforms.

[Pam Abdy]

And I think that's kind of wonderful. Yeah, I agree.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah. I mean, it was. I actually do think that it was a sort of a valiant effort to try to do that and to. And to get into that space. But I think that you're right, and I think that it seems to be one of the. One of the mistakes that is consistently made is that people try to jump out of their lane, and there's nothing wrong with taking chances. But they say, well, now we're gonna do the thing. We're trying to create this, and then make it into a movie. Well, no, it is that. It shouldn't be. Be that. It's like when they make the doc, you know, that documentary that everybody loved during the pandemic.

[Michael DeLuca]

Right.

[Will Arnett]

And then they go, let's make it into a movie. Well, they've already got the documentary. You know, the story.

[Sean Hayes]

Why are we doing that? Again, I think the same thing.

[Will Arnett]

Well, then what if you never said that, then why did I have to say it? And then you can just agree. You don't get to.

[Sean Hayes]

You're the second guy.

[Pam Abdy]

The second guy in.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, no, you can agree with and say, yeah, you're really smart, but you don't get to have any ownership of it.

[Sean Hayes]

But wait a minute. I agree, but there are examples that. Where that has happened. But it worked. Where the documentary. I mean, the film of the documentary is actually engaging and thoughtful and successful.

[Pam Abdy]

And, you know, I mean, sometimes when we did Captain Phillips with Scott Rudin and Dana Brunetti, the impetus was we were watching the news. You get a version of the story from the. But, you know, we were thinking, gee, the news can't tell you what's being said inside that lifeboat or what the hijackers are saying to Captain Phillips. And when you can dramatize. Cause I did Moneyball, Captain Phillips and Social Network, all based on true stories. And the neat thing about dramatizing true stories, whether you're adapting a documentary or working off a nonfiction book, is you can bring audiences dramatic structure, which are peaks and valleys and, you know, moments that.

[Will Arnett]

I'm the captain, captain now.

[Pam Abdy]

And that was. That was an improv line, too.

[Will Arnett]

Yeah, yeah, I'm the captain now. And by the way, I remember reading Moneyball. That was 2003. The great Michael Lewis, when that book came out.

[Pam Abdy]

The great Michael Lewis. Absolutely.

[Will Arnett]

The great Michael Lewis. I've read all his books. These guys have never read a book in their lives. And I read. I read that book.

[Jason Bateman]

My ears work.

[Pam Abdy]

They read book reviews, though, I'm sure.

[Will Arnett]

But. But I. I remember thinking at the time when I heard that they were making Moneyball into a film, I thought, if you've read the book, you think, well, how the. Are they going to do that? That.

[Jason Bateman]

Right or Social Network, like, I want to see a fucking movie about.

[Will Arnett]

And it was incredible. I loved Moneyball, the film we had the.

[Pam Abdy]

I mean, Aaron Sorkin, who's one of the. If not the best working screenwriter, certainly one of the greats on Social Network, and he. And he co wrote Moneyball with Steve Zelian, who wrote Schindler's List. I mean, these are incredible screenwriters. And they were able to find the human story, Obviously the human. It's amazing. Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

What they did, it's brilliant. If you've read the book, you realize how brilliant those screenplays.

[Jason Bateman]

But talk a little bit if you don't think it's gonna be a sleeping pill. Like, my questions are, is there an interesting story that Tracy might be interested to hear about? How when you do a true story, how do you put the words into the mouth of real people without getting sued? Like, how do you. How does Aaron Sorkin go off and say, all right, now, you know, Mark Zuckerberg says this.

[Sean Hayes]

And because it's a dramatization, it's not.

[Jason Bateman]

I know, but you're using. So there's legal safe harbor. You can get.

[Pam Abdy]

Basically, the way. Not to get too boring about it, but basically, if you're not derogatory or defamatory, you have dramatic license, certainly, to make up dialogue. We do a legal vetting of every screenplay based on a true story. And it goes through this vetting process of, are you on the right side of the derogatory and defamatory line?

[Jason Bateman]

What's the risk we're running here?

[Pam Abdy]

And can you back up things that you're alleging through documentation on Social Network? We had the transcript of the lawsuit that Ed Saverin brought against Zuckerberg. And if you remember the movie, that's kind of home base for Aaron, those depositions in that lawsuit are kind of what he cuts back to as the story's being told. So he was on safe ground there on Moneyball. And Captain Phillips, we actually negotiated the life rights of each of the people. So we had sewn them up before the movies were shot.

[Jason Bateman]

But then does that give them the right to then look at the script and say, no, I didn't say that, or I would never take it out?

[Will Arnett]

Or once the movie has written, they sent it away before.

[Pam Abdy]

No, of course, you don't want to. You try to, you know, be responsible. Cause you don't want people saying, when the movie comes out, you know, going on a PR at jihad, that, oh, this was.

[Jason Bateman]

Ruined my reputation?

[Pam Abdy]

Yeah, Moneyball was actually great. Cause we made our deal With Major League Baseball and they were the gatekeepers. And all we had to do was make sure Major League Baseball approved the script and approved the cut of the movie.

[Michael DeLuca]

It is helpful when you have the life rates of people and you bring them into the tent. Like films just. I worked on World Trade Center. We had John and Wills rights on Erin Brockovich, Aaron's rights on this film. Freedom Writers years ago of this teacher, Aaron Gruel. It was based on, you know, we had the kids involved, we changed the kids names to protect them and their background. But it was so helpful to have that authenticity and to have that collaboration with the real people.

[Jason Bateman]

But sometimes then your hands are tied though, because it's a true story. Maybe the ending isn't as movie ish as you might want it to be. And then you have to deviate from the real story and create some weird ending.

[Will Arnett]

And let's ask somebody who loves having their hands tied. Sean.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, so I would prefer a twist. I'd prefer a twist.

[Jason Bateman]

That's with the glow stick in your team.

[Will Arnett]

Sorry. Pays to have their hands tied.

[Jason Bateman]

Well, before we let you guys go, can you talk a little bit about what you guys might be collectively or separately excited about that's coming out of Warner Brothers that the audience can be looking forward to. Who's you guys want to like separately say which is your. You can't say which is your favorite coming out.

[Pam Abdy]

But that's like asking a parent, like average kid.

[Michael DeLuca]

They're all our babies.

[Sean Hayes]

But what's coming up next that you're excited about? You're excited about all of them. What's coming up next?

[Pam Abdy]

Well, look, this is, you know, I'm a little biased about new line because I started my career there. So it's just neat for me to have it back in my Life. Final Destination 6 is a fantastic theatrical experience.

[Sean Hayes]

Amazing.

[Jason Bateman]

So much fun.

[Pam Abdy]

It is so much fun. And then, and then we have Zach's movie Weapons, which is his follow up to Barbarian, which is completely original. Can't wait to see that again. An incredible audience response. And Paul Thomas Anderson has made a.

[Jason Bateman]

Movie with gaprio bitching.

[Pam Abdy]

It's so of its moment. I mean, we're gonna drop. That was a teaser. There's gonna be another trailer. It's so unique and so of the moment. I think that's gonna really blow people, people away. We have Brad Pitt's F1 movie.

[Sean Hayes]

That looks incredible fun.

[Pam Abdy]

Big Jerry Bruckheimer, Joe Kaczynski production there Day one.

[Will Arnett]

Nobody's a bigger fan than Cool it, Cool it.

[Pam Abdy]

Well, It's Brad Pitt at his Brad Pittiest. It's really amazing to watch him in that movie. And then again, as a comic book geek, I'm really up for. I think I cannot wait for the world to see James new Superman.

[Sean Hayes]

That's great.

[Michael DeLuca]

I'm excited. So I'm excited for all of our sleep. And we have Mortal Kombat as well too, in the fall, which is super fun. And I'm really excited for some of the stuff we have in post. I mean, we started. We relaunched in the animation.

[Pam Abdy]

Oh, yeah. Well, we launched Warner Animation to stand on the shoulders of Lego Movie and Lego Batman.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, well, you're, I guess, not included in that though, huh?

[Michael DeLuca]

No. We're gonna have you back.

[Will Arnett]

Warner Animation Group is back. It's back.

[Michael DeLuca]

Yeah.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

I think I feel like I sunk you guys with. With Teen Titans Go to the Movies, which is actually, actually a great movie if you've ever seen it.

[Jason Bateman]

What's it called?

[Will Arnett]

From the T. It's a phenomenal movie. Teen Titans Go to the Movies.

[Pam Abdy]

I love that movie. No, I love that film.

[Jason Bateman]

I hear that.

[Will Arnett]

And I convinced. You know, we worked with those, those writers, Aaron and. And you bet, Michael are brilliant.

[Pam Abdy]

They're brilliant. I agree. Yeah. I think James and Peter are working on a live action Teen Titans, but. And a new Teen Titans Go, I think actually, too well, maybe you could read for that.

[Jason Bateman]

You play pretty.

[Pam Abdy]

But we're. Yeah, we're really excited about the new animation label.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Michael DeLuca]

Our first movie next year is Cat in the Hat with Hader as the cat. Bill Hader really, really excited for that.

[Pam Abdy]

And like Jason Bateman, Bill Hader's a director that we hope to have making movies at the studio.

[Jason Bateman]

Bill's great director too. Yeah.

[Michael DeLuca]

We have Emerald Fennell's movie Wuthering Heights next year. We have Maggie Gyllenhaal's movie the Bride next year. So we're really jazzed about, you know, the eclectic slate we're trying to build here with the.

[Will Arnett]

That is eclectic slate.

[Michael DeLuca]

IP and, you know, filmmaker driven.

[Jason Bateman]

It is really exciting that you guys are there and doing what you're doing and the way that you're doing it. And I'm so excited for you this, the success. I don't know when this is going to air, but you know, Minecraft and Sinners, Double Barrel, you know, blockbusters coming out of the gate this month. And so just congratulations to you guys.

[Pam Abdy]

Oh, Jack's the best. Yeah. Look, man, it's the bet like we love when you love movies. It's the best job in the world. You know, we. We've been obsessed with movies since we were toddlers. And to be able to do this is. We're.

[Michael DeLuca]

It's a dream.

[Pam Abdy]

It's a dream come true.

[Jason Bateman]

You can tell with the films you guys are giving your yeses to. So please keep. Keep doing that. And thank you very much for joining us today. You guys are.

[Michael DeLuca]

Thanks for having me.

[Pam Abdy]

Oh, my God. Thank you. What an honor. Thank you guys so much. We love, love, smart life.

[Will Arnett]

So great.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you. Please now go back to your busy. Your busy day. And green lights on.

[Michael DeLuca]

This is the most fun we're going to have today. So thank you for this.

[Jason Bateman]

Thank you guys so much.

[Pam Abdy]

Thank you, guys.

[Will Arnett]

Thanks, guys.

[Jason Bateman]

Bye.

[Pam Abdy]

Take care.

[Jason Bateman]

See you later. So, guys, you know, I gotta mix it up a little bit.

[Will Arnett]

Yes. For a lot longer.

[Sean Hayes]

Right. It's so interesting to talk to that kind of caliber of people on the show.

[Will Arnett]

I know.

[Sean Hayes]

We never get to talk to those people. We're always talking about them or about.

[Jason Bateman]

Studios or about people that work for the studio. They are running the studio. They are in control of what America is seeing.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. Fascinating.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. And they've got such good taste. And usually those folks don't get hired to. To do such a corporately responsible job and they manage to balance the two. I'm just. I'm really fascinated with how they're able to do both. That.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah.

[Will Arnett]

God, you're so stupid.

[Jason Bateman]

I'm so dumb. I know. It would be hard for me. You know, I can't do two things at once.

[Will Arnett]

I couldn't do anything. I always try to chew them. I always go, like, imagine if I was in charge. You think we'd be.

[Pam Abdy]

We.

[Will Arnett]

We'd have bridges and roads. If there would be nothing, we'd all be huddled under a tree. If I'd been in charge.

[Jason Bateman]

How do you think you would do at running a studio, Will?

[Will Arnett]

I would. Terrible. I'd run into the ground one week.

[Jason Bateman]

What about you, Shawnee?

[Sean Hayes]

I would love it.

[Jason Bateman]

I think I would really love it too. I don't think I'd be any good at it, but I would love it just for. Just for a week to be on the buying side. Right.

[Sean Hayes]

I think. I think I could do it.

[Jason Bateman]

Get to sit there and just say, yes, this. Tell me.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah, and. And I think it'd be super fun. And. And like, both be horrible.

[Will Arnett]

You drive everybody who work for you crazy. Everybody hate you both. Knowing you both as well as I do, everybody who'd work there would hate the hell out.

[Jason Bateman]

Snacks. Snacks.

[Sean Hayes]

Would be.

[Will Arnett]

And they wouldn't be able to tell you self aware in any real way. You know, we'd have a gummy.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh yeah, gummy. A gummy closet. Chips closet.

[Sean Hayes]

Yeah. But you know what?

[Jason Bateman]

The chocolate closet of the snacks.

[Will Arnett]

You.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah.

[Sean Hayes]

No wait, I got one.

[Jason Bateman]

Oh, here he comes.

[Sean Hayes]

You know, but, but the biggest movie that they did was so great. What was it last year? What was about the Hasbro. The doll. What was it? Bar.

[Jason Bateman]

It's not by. So you can't use it. Try another title.

[Will Arnett]

That's if you want. If you want to find a word that, that, that does just go and look up and. And use. You used some help from a. Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

No, no, not there on. That's not a word either.

[Sean Hayes]

Barbie would have been great.

[Jason Bateman]

Let's see here.

[Will Arnett]

Bar. Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

Yeah. Barbie. Yeah, Barb. Barbie.

[Sean Hayes]

That would have been great.

[Jason Bateman]

Okay, you know what? I just checked with the judges. They will allow.

[Will Arnett]

You know what, hang on. I'm gonna look at a word and you two, I'm gonna put both of you on stand.

[Pam Abdy]

Bye.

[Jason Bateman]

Bye. Very good. Bye.

[Pam Abdy]

No, that's a buy.

[Will Arnett]

Smart Less. Smart less. Smartless is 100% organic and artisanally handcrafted by Bennett Barbico, Michael Grant, Terry and Rob Armjarf. Smart Less.

[Jason Bateman]

Hey, friends. Jason here. We're so excited. The Smartless has officially joined the SiriusXM family. We can't wait to announce new surprise guests who we know that you'll love. If you want to be the first to hear new episodes ad free and a whole week early, subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts plus on Apple Podcasts or visit siriusxm.com podcastsplus to start your free trial today.

[Sean Hayes]

The New Balance 1080 is that versatile. Go to sneaker that's ready for anything, just like me. Whether you're hitting the pavement for a run or just running around town, you get that perfect mix of comfort and performance. So you're covered from coffee runs to race day. And runners love that cushioned midsole because it's got their back. Well, actually their feet. By providing security and comfort for smooth, effortless runs. Plus the lightweight, breathable upper keeps things cool and fresh no matter how far you're going. Ready to upgrade your kicks? Shop the 1080 now@New Balance.com.

[Jason Bateman]

While Hilton is always expected to have top notch service, you'd be surprised at the unexpected places they're offering it now. They've partnered with Auto Camp, which offers insanely cool airstreams in iconic outdoor destinations. Hilton also has an exclusive partnership with small luxury hotels of the world, providing Hilton Honors members access to luxury boutique hotels across the globe. And they've added romantic and refined nomad hotels and graduate hotels in your favorite college towns to their portfolio. Explore all all the new ways to stay with those Hilton Honors points you've been [e-mail] Hilton for the stay.