Podcast Summary: The Town with Matthew Belloni

Episode: Mailbag! 'Star Wars' and Soderbergh, the Best Home for Warner Bros., and Netflix vs. Theaters

Date: November 5, 2025
Host/Guests: Matthew Belloni (Host), Craig Hunter (Regular Contributor)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Town is a classic "town hall" mailbag format, with Matthew Belloni and Craig Hunter fielding questions on pressing Hollywood topics submitted by listeners. They cover a would-be Steven Soderbergh Star Wars project, speculate on the best buyer for Warner Bros., dissect Netflix’s ongoing tension with the theatrical model, discuss the uncertain fate of MTV’s The Challenge, and offer thoughts on HBO's new series I Love LA. The tone is conversational, incisive, and frequently laced with industry inside jokes and candid takes familiar to regular listeners.

1. The Steven Soderbergh 'Ben Solo' Star Wars Script

[02:04 – 07:40]

Key Points & Insights:

• Soderbergh developed a script with Adam Driver (centered on Ben Solo/Kylo Ren), and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy was initially enthusiastic.

• Disney leadership (Alan Bergman and Bob Iger) vetoed the project, mainly doubting audience interest in resurrecting Ben Solo and Adam Driver’s star power.

• Belloni emphasizes the dysfunction at Lucasfilm and Kennedy’s unpredictable green-lighting habits:

  "Kathy gets excited about lots of things... she wants something one day and then another thing the next week. She’s got one foot out the door. She’s leaving soon."
  (Richard Rushfield, 04:15)

• Disney wants big, commercial, "safe bet" Star Wars movies, not “economical, handmade, character-driven” projects (as Soderbergh/Driver described theirs).

• Belloni is resigned:

  “I have stopped. I’m sort of numb to the various ups and downs of the Star Wars development track. When there is an actual production happening in London, I then become interested. Until then, it’s all noise.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 07:20)

• Consensus: This project is dead for now, and creative risks at Lucasfilm are unlikely under current leadership.

2. Who Should Buy Warner Bros.? Netflix, Paramount, or a Split?

[07:51 – 15:23]

Key Points & Insights:

• Question: Which buyer—Netflix or Paramount—would the industry/talent community prefer for Warner Bros.?

• Richard sides with Paramount:

  “Netflix literally wants to shut down HBO and ingest the IP and make shows based on the IP and Warner Brothers would essentially go away. So that’s the nightmare scenario.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 08:34)

• A Netflix acquisition would take Warner Bros.' historic library out of licensing circulation, changing the ecosystem.

• Regulatory obstacles loom large for a Netflix/WB deal (would combine #1 and #4 streaming players).

• A joint buyout rumor involves Comcast and Netflix—Comcast gets HBO/channels, Netflix gets WB studio and IP. Complicated, with many entangled rights.

• If Netflix gets WB, theatrical releases could largely disappear:

  “If Netflix buys Warner Brothers studio, that is pretty much curtains for the Warner Brothers theatrical movies.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 13:20)

• Division of assets (like Game of Thrones IP) would likely be messy and unprecedented.

• Wearing his industry hat, Richard sees Paramount offers as less damaging to Hollywood’s ecosystem, but “the answer there is neither is what the talent community wants.”

3. Netflix vs. Theaters—Will There Be a Real Deal with AMC?

[17:50 – 23:06]

Key Points & Insights:

• Audience question: Will Netflix and AMC reach a distribution deal in 2026 with meaningful theatrical windows?

• Richard is emphatic:

  “Short answer, no again, not our model. Ted Sarandos put it on the wall. Theaters are not our model.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 18:00)

• More "stunt" releases and event screenings (e.g., Stranger Things finale, K-Pop Demon Hunters), but not genuine exclusive theatrical runs.

• Netflix waiting to put films in theaters after they’re hits on the service—more as “fan marketing” than revenue play.

• Only way Netflix changes? If a talent exodus forces their hand:

  “Unless the talent backlash becomes so big and they lose so many movie projects to rivals that they have to put their tail between their legs and say, okay, we will give an upper echelon of filmmakers 45 days in theaters…”
  (Richard Rushfield, 19:39)

• Greta Gerwig’s next movie (following Barbie) got a modest theatrical window as a “unique situation.”

• Netflix offers creative freedom and big checks to lure, but many top filmmakers still turn them down for lack of theatrical release.

• An example:

  “They were in on F1, the Joe Kosinski movie, and Apple got it because they guaranteed theaters.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 21:59)

• Netflix’s prestige filmmaker movies are often passion projects or less obviously commercial properties.

4. The Uncertain Future of MTV’s The Challenge

[24:08 – 27:23]

Key Points & Insights:

• With the cancellation of MTV’s Ridiculousness, concern now falls on the longevity of The Challenge amid cable’s decline.

• Richard’s personal lament:

  “I love the Challenge. I am a Gen Xer... I am very afraid for the Challenge right now.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 24:19)

• The Challenge remains safe for now, possibly because of original content requirements tied to cable carriage.

• Franchise attempts (global versions, CBS spin-off, etc.) may have diluted the brand.

• If The Challenge were on Netflix, both agree, “it would be Ginormous” (Craig Hunter, 26:37).

• The format still works, likened to a younger, hotter Survivor.

5. Quick Takes – HBO’s I Love LA Premiere

[27:23 – 31:06]

Key Points & Insights:

• At the I Love LA premiere, Richard and Craig discuss generational disconnect and what appeals about the show.

• Budget: Under $5M per episode, considered cheap for HBO/LA set.

• Format likened to “modern female Entourage” or Girls:

  “It’s got a very Girls style vibe to it. And you can do that for a lot cheaper.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 28:10)

• Both think the show will get a second season, praising the cast and performances, but noting it's “a bit of a smaller story.”

• Light banter over party food logistics closes the section, keeping the episode’s relaxed, inside-Hollywood tone.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Star Wars Development Dysfunction:
  “The whole place is dysfunctional... there's a reason they haven’t had a movie for six years.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 04:15 – 05:11)

• On Netflix's Strategy:
  “Theaters are not our model. Maybe they change their tune... but I don’t think they see it that way.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 13:45)

• On Prestige Projects at Netflix:
  “Netflix has worked with a lot of great filmmakers, but they're often doing great filmmaker with a project that isn’t as commercial as would have sold to a bigger studio... They'll get the Scorsese movie, but it’s got problems attached to it.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 22:35)

• On The Challenge and Cable's Demise:
  “The canary in the coal mine for the demise of the cable TV business was when every cable network started treating their programming like MTV treated Ridiculousness.”
  (Richard Rushfield, 25:03)

Important Timestamps

• 02:04 – Discussion of Steven Soderbergh’s Ben Solo Star Wars script and why Disney killed it.
• 07:51 – Debate over the best buyer for Warner Bros.: Netflix vs. Paramount.
• 13:20 – What a Netflix acquisition would mean for Warner Bros. theatrical movies.
• 17:50 – Will Netflix ever agree to a standard theatrical window with AMC?
• 21:59 – Examples of top director projects lost by Netflix due to lack of theatrical window.
• 24:08 – The fate of The Challenge in a post-cable world.
• 27:23 – Thoughts on HBO’s I Love LA, including generational appeal and behind-the-scenes stories.

Episode Tone & Closing Thoughts

The conversation combines sharp industry analysis, irreverent humor, and the distinct voice of insiders not afraid to critique power players in Hollywood. Richard exhibits both enthusiasm for the business and exasperation with its cycles, while Craig keeps things moving and brings in audience perspective. Their perspectives give outsiders a candid, nuanced update on the state of play in the entertainment industry, blending reporting with opinion and a dash of nostalgia.

This summary covers only the core content—ads, intros, and outros have been omitted for clarity and focus.