Podcast
The Town with Matthew Belloni
Hosted by The Ringer · EN
Puck founding partner Matthew Belloni takes you inside Hollywood, using exclusive reporting and insight to explain the backstories on everything from Marvel movies to streaming wars. Multiple times each week, Matt is joined by major executives, dealmakers, and journalists, to discuss what is getting made and why, who is winning and losing, and what people in show business are actually talking about.
194episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Hollywood’s Inevitable Pivot to Vertical Video Is Here
May 2000:35:08Summary readyMatt is joined by Hernan Lopez, founder of Owl and Co. and Wondery, to talk about the rise of vertical video, how it ballooned to a $100B/year business, the staggering success of Reels, and which companies in Hollywood are best suited to benefit the most from this trend (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about next season's cast of 'Saturday Night Live' (26:50). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Hernan Lopez Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit Starz FYC.com. For more information visit Hulu.com/FYC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe Hollywood Jealousy Draft: What Each Studio Would Steal From Its Rivals
May 1900:36:43Summary readyMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to conduct this first ever Hollywood Jealousy Draft, where each of the five major entertainment companies (Disney, Comcast, WarnerMount, Netflix, and Amazon) can steal any asset from any of their competitors for free. Matt and Lucas cosplay as all-powerful CEOs and make their selections for what they believe are the most valuable assets in Hollywood (00:06). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the final episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (29:40). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit Starz FYC.com. Sarah Snook stars in Peacock’s ALL HER FAULT. Streaming on Peacock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryWho Won (and Lost) TV’s Annual Billion-Dollar Cash Grab
May 1400:37:40Summary readyMatt is joined by Rich Greenfield from LightShed Partners to recap this year's TV upfronts, highlighting the best, the worst, and everything in between from TV’s most glamorous week (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a box office prediction for this weekend (32:15). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Book a new kind of stay at HolidayInn.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryWhat Makes Good TV Writers (and Execs), With David E. Kelley
May 1300:35:49Summary readyLive from Los Angeles, Matt is joined by writer and producer David E. Kelley ('Margo’s Got Money Troubles,' 'Big Little Lies,' 'L.A. Law') to talk about the difference between producing television for a streamer vs. a traditional legacy studio, writing about OnlyFans in his new show, what makes a good TV executive, whether he has ever used AI, and more. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: David E. Kelley Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryDisney vs. Trump in the D’Amaro Era Looks Different
May 1100:31:57Summary readyMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Disney pushback against the Trump administration by challenging the FCC’s investigation of 'The View,' saying it infringes on the First Amendment and free speech. They debate what this strong political stance means for Disney under new CEO Josh D’Amaro, and dig into Disney’s first earnings call under D’Amaro highlighting what he did and didn’t say in his mission statement (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the government's investigation of the NFL’s antitrust exemptions (24:15). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Book a new kind of stay at HolidayInn.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryA Sit-Down With Blake Lively’s Lead Litigator
May 800:35:24Summary readyMatt is joined by litigator Michael Gottlieb to unpack the latest news in the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni battle, who actually won, why the saga isn't over yet, if there is any regret for how things have unfolded, how much Ryan Reynolds was involved, and the lessons from this case. Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Michael Gottlieb Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummarySubwayTakes, Tiktok Vs. YouTube, and New Late-Night TV With Kareem Rahma
May 600:33:31Summary readyMatt is joined by Kareem Rahma, host and producer of SubwayTakes and Keep the Meter Running, to discuss transitioning from behind the scenes to an on-screen talent later in his career, the success of SubwayTakes, building a real business on social, the blurred lines between online shows and traditional late-night television, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Mortal Kombat 2’ (28:27). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Kareem Rahma Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryHell Has Frozen Over: Netflix To Release Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ Exclusively in Theaters
May 400:32:28Summary readyMatt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix agreeing to release Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia: The Magician's Nephew’, in theaters worldwide with a traditional window of theatrical exclusivity for the first time ever. They examine why Netflix blinked on theaters now, and if this is a one-off or a sign of future softening of their stance on theaters (00:00). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the ongoing Jimmy Kimmel-Donald Trump feud (25:35). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Industry voters visit StarzFYC.com. Book a new kind of stay at HolidayInn.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SummaryThe 2026 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Ranking
Apr 3000:41:37Summary readyIt’s almost May, which means summer blockbuster season has officially begun. Matt welcomes back Puck’s Scott Mendelson to run through the most highly anticipated films of the summer, ranking each one by their box office potential and assigning confidence scores for each film. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Adam Fogelson Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary'Michael’s' Big Win, the Reshoot Drama, and Sequel Hurdles with Lionsgate’s Film Head
Apr 2900:45:42Summary readyMatt is joined by Lionsgate film chair Adam Fogelson to talk about the success of ‘Michael,’ the challenges of making the movie, why they took a chance on the film when many other studios passed, whether there will be a sequel and if it will engage with the allegations against Michael Jackson, Lionsgate’s recent hot streak, how they compete with major studios, and more (00:00). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ (40:35). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Adam Fogelson Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jon Jones Theme Song: Devon Renaldo This episode is brought to you by AMC+. Start your free trial today at join.amcplus.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary