Matt Belloni

How to De-Age the Oscars with Amelia Dimoldenberg Spotify video

New pod: I talked to Amelia Dimoldenberg about getting young people to care about awards shows. No chickens were harmed. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/59Ca...

Fun news: Bradley Cooper is now the choice to write and direct the Ocean's 11 prequel for WB. (Lee Isaac Chung recently dropped out.) Cooper would also star with Margot Robbie. No deals yet, but goal is to shoot this year.

Why the Biggest Oscar Party Is Cutting Its Guest List in Half Spotify video

New pod: The new editor of @vanityfair.com on revamping the Oscar party by cutting the riffraff (I’m looking at you, David Spade), and what access journalism even means in 2026. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/4gAo...

Matt Belloni brings 'The Town' to YouTube Puck founding partner Matt Belloni discusses transitioning his popular podcast to video and the importance of specialization for people building a career in modern journalism. He has fresh perspective...

Had a nice chat with the official @YouTube blog about launching The Town on video. ⬇️⬇️ blog.youtube/creator-and-...

I talked to @mattbelloni.bsky.social about Sunday's Oscars, the future of Hollywood, and why he thinks David Ellison wants to build a new Fox News:
Excerpts here: www.businessinsider.com/oscars-predi...
Full chat on Channels: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

Oscars Preview! Timmy Trouble, a ‘Sinners’ Surge, and a Big Lead for 'One Battle' Spotify video

New pod: Where to place your Oscar bets, and what history suggests will happen on Sunday. With Oscar-ologist (and talent manager) Michael Lasker. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/3dTZ...

David Ellison’s Troubling H.R. File Hollywood’s newest mogul has risen to the head of—potentially—two studios so quickly that there are still vast reaches of his leadership style to explore. One early trend: a tendency to hire managers ...

David Ellison, the guy who wants to run two Hollywood studios, has some questionable hiring judgment. And it’s not just the MeToo men. Via @kimmasters.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/paramounts-d...

Why Netflix Bought Ben Affleck’s AI Company, and If Hollywood Should Worry Spotify video

New pod: Why Ben Affleck and his AI tool is a dream come true for Netflix. With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/7jKr...

New pod: From open mics and student short films and Twitter jokes to her own HBO show. It's Rachel Sennott recorded on location with @lucasshaw.bsky.social at Chapman University film school. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/1hUz...

Gerry Cardinale Swears He Isn’t Firing Everybody The RedBird founder talks candidly about his $111 billion WarnerMount deal—raising EBITDA to $18 billion and cutting $6 billion without firing everyone; the importance of CBS; combining his streaming ...

The layoff math looks scary at the combined WarnerMount studio. Or does it? Crunching the numbers with the company's top dealmaker. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/gerry-cardin...

Wuthering Heights just hit $200 million at the worldwide box office. A good number for a period drama, but the movie cost Warners about $85 million, so still not a big moneymaker for the studio.

Investor Gerry Cardinale on Why WarnerMount Will Work, Middle East Money, and Layoffs Spotify video

New pod: Paramount board member Gerry Cardinale comes out swinging against “sour grapes” Netflix, reveals the Ellisons WON’T sell the 2 studio lots, clarifies the Middle East money issue (kinda), and much more. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/04WC...

Amazon’s $200 Million Hail Mary For one of its biggest movies ever, Amazon MGM is betting on a Ryan Gosling sci-fi tentpole from the Spider-Verse guys. And while it has most of the markings of success—positive early buzz, a plot you...

The gross budget of Project Hail Mary is $248M, just under $200M after tax credits. It's the biggest original (based on book) all-audience sci fi bet since Tenet, and a referendum on Amazon's theatrical ambitions. No pressure! Via @scottmendelson.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/project-hail...

How David Ellison Plans to Mash Two Major Studios Into One Spotify video

New pod: Pre-gaming the painful Paramount/Warner Discovery mashup, from one streamer to UFC on...HBO? With analyst @richlightshed.bsky.social. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/6gc6...

Emergency Pod! Paramount Outbids Netflix and Wins Warner Bros. Spotify video

New pod: Did Hollywood just reach DEFCON 1? Breaking down this holy shit moment, with a special Friday appearance by @lucasshaw.bsky.social Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/3IQb...

The Ellisons Catch the Warners Falling Knife Netflix’s shock exit from the Warner Bros. Discovery sweepstakes likely gives Paramount the victory, saddling them with a mountain of debt, and a slightly smaller mountain of unanswered questions. Why...

Who really won in Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Discovery? Plus new details on the mountain of debt awaiting the Ellisons. My debate with Bill Cohan @puck.news ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/wbd-sweepsta...

News: top Disney spokesperson Kristina Schake is out. New CEO Josh D’Amaro is getting his own comms person.

Trump’s UFC Math Problem & Reiner’s MAGA Partner The president’s promise of a stadium-sized crowd for a July 4 UFC match on the South Lawn is running into some significant logistical hurdles. Plus a Castle Rock cease-and-desist and the Hollywood lin...

Staging a UFC event on the White House lawn is expected to cost around $60 million. New details ⬇️⬇️ via @kimmasters.bsky.social … puck.news/trumps-ufc-m...

Part 2: Sony Film CEO on Marvel’s Decline and Hollywood’s Originality Crisis Spotify video

New pod: It’s Part 2 of Tom Rothman: Sony’s new Marvel strategy, Why Spider-Man NWH didn’t get a China release (too much Statue of Liberty!), and much more. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/0eNp...

News: Paramount is investigating a litigation threat against its president Jeff Shell by a man with an *interesting* background who claims to have represented Shell as a consultant and now says Shell disclosed confidential company information to him. This is unrelated to WB deal.

Sony Pictures CEO on Losing ‘Sinners’ and the Endless Big Tech Battle Spotify video

New pod: Sony's film chief on the movie windows crisis, Netflix/WB, Kpop Demon Hunters, why he wouldn't make Sinners, and more. Recorded on location at @AFIConservatory with Tom Rothman and @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/15nL...

Funny to see CBS promote Nielsen ratings showing robust competition for U.S. TV audiences that contradict its parent company’s antitrust narrative that Netflix is too dominant…

Matt really out here doing the job congress abdicated.

Why the Former Sony Head Blames Himself for the Infamous Hack Spotify video

New pod: Most movie studio heads desperately want to be cool. This one says his vanity led to the biggest cyberterrorism incident in American history. With former Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton. Listen! Watch! open.spotify.com/episode/1HMM...

Ted Sarandos Hits the Mattresses on the 45-Day Window As Warner Bros. gives Paramount another week to raise its bid, Netflix’s unflappable Ted Sarandos shares his thoughts (and makes some promises) about the entertainment business in a post-merger world.

Takeaways from my interview with Netflix’s CEO Ted Sarandos, specifically his detailed commitments to theatrical releases for Warner Bros movies ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/ted-sarandos...

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos Makes the Case for Buying Warner Bros. Spotify video

New pod: The head of Netflix is making a final push to convince us buying Warner Bros is good for Hollywood. I have MANY questions. With Ted Sarandos. Listen!
open.spotify.com/episode/1Ya9...

The Casey Wasserman Scandal, and Who Wants to Buy His Agency Spotify video

New pod: Time for a scandal-induced fire sale...Who's gonna buy the Wasserman agency? With @lucasshaw.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/6T9O...

WUTHERING HEIGHTS is coming in well below pre-release tracking, now projecting mid to high $30m domestic (WB spinning $40m) for the 4-day weekend. Most services projected it at about $50m, some thought it would blow past that.

Ted Cruz’s Very Special ‘NCIS’ Set Visit Cruz visited Netflix’s rival suitor and toured the set of one of its tentpole franchises ahead of last week’s subcommittee hearings on the Warner Bros. sale. Plus a Pete Davidson podcast union update,...

Days before grilling Netflix/WB executives in DC, Ted Cruz visited rival bidder Paramount’s HQ in Hollywood. ⬇️⬇️ puck.news/ted-cruzs-ve...

One correction in here: Former Universal exec Ron Meyer flew with Maxwell, not Epstein. Apologies.