Episode list

Matt Belloni is joined by Puck colleague Ben Landy to run through the latest industry news from the weekend, including HBO Max and Discovery+ merging into one app and the ongoing fallout after Disney CEO Bob Chapek's handling of the new Florida "Don't Say Gay" legislation. Then, media analyst Jeff Bock joins the show to discuss the increase in ticket price for 'The Batman' as well as what to expect the 2022 moviegoing experience to look like. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Ben Landy, Jeff Bock.

Matt leads off with the bizarre news of movie theater chain AMC buying stock in a gold mine, as well as Discovery CEO David Zaslav's 2021 pay package totaling over $240 million. Then, senior strategy analyst Julia Alexander joins the show to discuss Netflix beginning to curtail the ability to share a password with multiple users, and whether or not a streaming service like Netflix can produce a lasting movie franchise. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Julia Alexander.

Matt is joined by chief media analyst of Variety Intelligence Platform Andy Wallenstein to discuss Amazon's $6.5 billion purchase of MGM Studios and what this means for Amazon's future in the movie and television industry, how this will affect Amazon prime members, and how this will play out in Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Andy Wallenstein.

Are the middlemen who have dominated Hollywood for decades in trouble? Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the future for Hollywood intermediaries, the ongoing turmoil at Disney, and Rachel Zegler of 'West Side Story' not receiving an invitation to the Oscars. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by co-head and partner at WME Sports Josh Pyatt to discuss why broadcasters are seeing huge paydays, which streaming service needs NFL Sunday Ticket the most, what effect the Manning-cast will have on future broadcasts, why some athletes succeed in building an entertainment business while others fail, and more. Matt finishes the show with a take on NFL announcers. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Josh Pyatt.

Matt is joined by author Mark Harris to discuss the Academy's decision to cut eight categories from the live Oscars broadcast, and to debate whether or not the ceremony needs to be changed-and if so, how much? Later, Vulture's Joe Adalian comes on to talk about Amazon hosting the Academy of Country Music Awards and whether awards shows can survive on streaming services. Host: Matt Belloni. Guests: Mark Harris and Joe Adalian.

Oscar math expert Ben Zauzmer joins the show to outline his Oscars prediction model and to forecast who his model believes are mathematically the most likely winners in each category. Later, Matt gives a prediction of his own on the 2022 Oscars. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Ben Zauzmer.

Live from inside the Dolby Theater at the Academy Awards, Matt and The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg react to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock in the face onstage during the show. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Scott Feinberg.

It's the morning after, and Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw joins Matt to give a report on the 2022 Academy Awards. They discuss the fallout after the Will Smith-Chris Rock slap, the viewership spike after an all-time low in 2021, and if the modified show format was a success. Later, Matt and Craig review Matt's past month of predictions. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by WWE president Nick Khan to chat about the WWE as a media entity, including its deal with Peacock and whether a potential acquisition is looming. Nick talks about how the WWE wants to develop new wrestlers, changing the narrative of the sport, The Rock's career, 'Wrestlemania,' and more. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Nick Khan.

Matt is joined by Variety executive editor Shirley Halperin to look ahead to Sunday's 2022 Grammy Awards. They forecast what we will see out of Kanye, whether this will be Olivia Rodrigo's night, whether a Grammy win still matters to an artist's success, how Vegas as a venue will affect the show, and how streaming saved the music industry. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Shirley Halperin.

Matt reacts to Will Smith's resignation from the Academy and explains the details of the decision. Host: Matt Belloni. Producer: Craig Horlbeck.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to talk about his experience at the Grammy Awards, including Trevor Noah's performance, who stole the show, who didn't, the Oscars vs. the Grammys, Vegas as a venue, and more. Matt wraps up the show by giving a take on the 2023 Oscars. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by Jason Kilar, who has recently announced his resignation as CEO of WarnerMedia. He discusses the choice to drop Warner's 2021 slate of movies directly on HBO Max on their premiere dates, the vision for CNN+, his decision to resign ahead of Discovery's merger with WarnerMedia, the future of advertising on streaming services, and where Jason is headed next. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Jason Kilar.

Matt is joined by Amy Kaufman from the LA Times to talk about her article that highlights Bruce Willis's surge in movie appearances in recent years despite his declining health as he battles with aphasia. They discuss the responsibilities those around an actor may or may not have to their well-being, and how informed those involved with Bruce's projects were. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Amy Kaufman.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to recap the weekend box office, including the promising success of 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' and the collapse of Michael Bay's 'Ambulance', followed by a discussion about the current state of original action movies in Hollywood. Later, they break down Apple TV+'s glitchy 'Friday Night Baseball' debut as well as the complex predicament of baseball and streaming. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by long-time film producer Neal Moritz ('Fast and Furious', '21 Jump Street', 'I Am Legend') to talk about the success of his newest film, 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2', why most video game adaptations flop, what will bring people back to theaters, the evolution of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, and the secret to his longevity as a producer. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Neal Moritz.

Matt is joined by New York Times writer at large Jim Rutenberg to discuss CNN+'s 'The Murdochs: Empire of Influence,' including Rupert Murdoch's prominence in media, his relationship to Donald Trump, the inter-dynamics of the Murdoch family, their relation to HBOs 'Succession,' and more. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Jim Rutenberg.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss why concert ticket prices have never been higher, as well as a historic stretch for live music sales across the globe. Later, they discuss Coachella's gradual transition into a more pop-focused festival, including predictions for 2023 and how it chooses its artists. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by media analyst Rich Greenfield to discuss Netflix's subscriber loss and subsequent stock plunge, the company's inability to make long-lasting hits, its claim that it will crack down on password sharing, its potential addition of a cheaper, ad-supported service, and whether its run of streaming dominance is finally over. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Rich Greenfield.

Matt is joined by longtime media reporter Bill Carter to talk about Jon Stewart's struggling talk show on Apple+, why the modern late night talk show isn't working, and what these shows mean to their respective networks. Later they predict when Lorne Michaels will step down from 'SNL,' who will replace him, and what the cast will look like next year. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Bill Carter.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss what an ad-supported tier on Netflix would look like, as well as what the company would need to change about its business and data-gathering practices to do so. Then they are joined by the head of research at Fanthropology, Kris Longfield, to talk about a new study on the growing divide in the public's interest in returning to movie theaters. Host: Matt Belloni. Guests: Lucas Shaw and Kris Longfield.

Matt is joined by lawyer Aaron Moss to discuss a legal loophole that is suddenly a big deal to legacy film and TV studios called "termination rights," a quirk of copyright law that allows certain creators to recapture their work. If you're a studio like Marvel, that loophole could lead to a large headache. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Aaron Moss.

Matt is joined by Puck News contributor Eriq Gardner to discuss former Lakers star Jerry West's demand of a retraction over HBO's 'Winning Time'. They also discuss Olivia Wilde getting served legal documents by Jason Sudekis in Las Vegas. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Eriq Gardner.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to talk about the beginning of the end for peak TV. With 559 original scripted shows on television and streaming, will the overall volume of content finally decrease? They discuss oversaturation, the problem with doom-scrolling, and the conundrum of curation on streaming platforms. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by divorce attorney Brett Ward to discuss whether Johnny Depp has a case that he lost tens of millions of dollars of potential career earnings because of Amber Heard's op-ed in The Washington Post. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Brett Ward.

Matt is joined by Seth Abramovitch of The Hollywood Reporter to discuss the recent New Yorker profile on Elisabeth Moss, including its reference to Seth's article from a few years back and Moss's involvement with Scientology. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Seth Abramovitch.

Matt and Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw conduct the first streaming service draft. They draft their way through each of the top streaming services (Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon, Paramount+, Peacock, Hulu), and pitch why they believe their roster will succeed the most over the next 10 years. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Are the quality of Marvel movies and television shows in decline? Matt is joined by The Ringer's Sean Fennessey to discuss Marvel's recent dip in quality, the future of its content, and if the biggest issues are creative, financial, or both. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Sean Fennessey.

When it comes to streaming, is Disney the new Netflix? Matt is joined by analyst Michael Nathanson to discuss Disney's recently released quarterly earnings report, its growing number of subscribers, and whether the cost to potentially beat out Netflix in the streaming wars has been worth it. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Michael Nathanson.

Matt is in New York for the network upfronts, a gathering of the major players in television to present their programming plans for the upcoming TV season to the advertising community. Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss whether advertisers will continue to pay top dollar to these major broadcast networks in a media landscape that is shifting to digital. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by Puck national correspondent Eriq Gardner to react to the conclusion of Amber Heard's testimony in the Johnny Depp defamation trial. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Eriq Gardner.

Matt is joined by Funny or Die CEO Mike Farah and chief creative officer Joe Farrell to talk about the state of comedy in Hollywood, why there are less and less hit comedy movies in theaters, social media's impact, making comedy in today's culture, and a movie studio's incentive to take risks on a comedy without a star. Host Matt Belloni. Guest: Mike Farah and Joe Farrell.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss which Hollywood-focused trends are theoretical buys or sells in the stock market of Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

In the Season 47 finale, 'Saturday Night Live' said goodbye to cast members Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, and Kyle Mooney. Matt is joined by journalist, author, and longtime 'SNL' expert James Andrew Miller to talk about what's next for the show, cast members working on outside projects, the diversity of the cast and writers room, Lorne's successor, and the looming 50-year anniversary. Host : Matt Belloni. Guest: James Andrew Miller.

It's Memorial Day weekend, which means it is officially summer blockbuster season. Matt is joined by Forbes' Scott Mendelson to run through each of the most highly anticipated blockbusters of the summer and assign their confidence in the movie exceeding expectations at the box office. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Scott Mendelson.

'Top Gun: Maverick,' the sequel to the 1986 blockbuster, set the record for biggest opening over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss if this is a sign of older audiences finally returning to theaters or if this is just a flash in the pan. Then they ponder if Tom Cruise is Hollywood's last remaining movie star. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by Puck's Eriq Gardner to react to the verdict in the Amber Heard-Johnny Depp defamation trial, as well as what's next for Depp and Heard and the significance of this trial going forward. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Eriq Gardner.

Matt and Craig field questions from the audience, covering topics about Disney's 'Star Wars' movie struggles, Amazon's expensive bet on its 'Lord of the Rings' series, the process behind green-lighting and renewing shows and why HBO is so good at it, Tom Cruise's potential nine-figure payday from 'Top Gun: Maverick,' and the business behind how actors and writers get paid. Host: Matt Belloni.

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Keegan to discuss the indie hit 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' and why it resonated with audiences. Later, they talk about A24's unique cachet in Hollywood, its innovation in marketing and brand awareness, and whether it will eventually be acquired. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Rebecca Keegan.

Matt is joined by John Ourand from Sports Business Journal to discuss the unexpectedly low ratings after the first two games of the NBA Finals as well as the future of sports in streaming, including Disney's commitment to ESPN, a potential buyer for the network, and more. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: John Ourand.

Matt is joined by CNBC's Alex Sherman to discuss the surprising firing of Disney entertainment executive Peter Rice. They discuss what Disney is saying about it, what does this say about the future of Disney, and much more. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Alex Sherman.

Matt is joined by Julia Alexander of Parrot Analytics to discuss the record-breaking opening week for 'Stranger Things,' the series' competition with 'Obi-Wan Kenobi,' and the most valuable properties in streaming. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Julia Alexander.

CNN is facing a major makeover at the hands of its new leaders David Zaslav and Chris Licht, but it could mean trouble for old correspondents. Matt brings on Puck writer and CNN expert Dylan Byers to break down Licht's new strategy and its potential for success. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Dylan Byers.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss how the pandemic has affected movies, live TV, streaming, and music. They break down the disappointing opening weekend for Pixar's 'Lightyear' and how it may foretell the future of moviegoing, a dip in TV viewership across the country, the future of showrunner megadeals, and the music boom of the 2020s. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by theme park journalist and podcast host Carlye Wisel to talk about the Disney Parks ecosystem, what's new post-pandemic, how they are making all this money, and the future of this important part of the entertainment industry. Then, Matt gives a prediction about the upcoming movie 'Elvis.' Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Carlye Wisel.

As we near the halfway point of 2022, Matt and Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw host the first-ever Half-Year Hollywood Awards. They give out awards for the winner and loser of the past six months, Biggest Publicist Fail, Head-scratcher Deal, Most Annoying Trend, predict who will win the next six months, and more. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.

Matt is joined by producer, founder, and chief executive of Blumhouse Productions, Jason Blum, to discuss the evolution of economics in the entertainment industry in the age of streaming. Later, Matt runs Jason through a lightning round of questions about various topics in Hollywood. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Jason Blum.

Matt is joined by author and journalist James Andrew Miller to discuss the ramifications of CAA's acquisition of ICM, including the consolidation of top-level talent agencies, why ICM decided to sell, how this will affect the future of content, and more. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: James Andrew Miller.

Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss the annual Sun Valley conference, dubbed a "summer camp for billionaires," where chief executives and board chairmen gather for private conversations that often lead to major deals across the tech and media landscape. Matt and Lucas discuss their experience attending Sun Valley conference in the past and prognosticate over which conversations could and should take place. Host: Matt Belloni. Guest: Lucas Shaw.