The Screenwriter Struggle and How to Break Through

Matt is joined by Axios media reporter Sara Fischer to discuss the Hollywood business implications of the second Trump presidency. They get into the possibility for more M&A, specifically Warner Bros. Discovery and LIV-PGA, whether Trump will go after big tech, the future of TikTok in the United States, and the future of content moderation (02:31). Matt finishes the show with a prediction related to the latest announcement that a new ‘Star Wars’ trilogy is in the works (26:57). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Sara Fischer Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by John Mass, president of Content Partners, to talk about how making money in TV has changed in the last 10 to 15 years. John walks us through how a TV show is financed, how the market has changed because of the streaming model, and how it has upended the way participants make money. They also talk about the bygone days of producers owning shows, the heyday of the syndication era, and if a correction is coming (02:29). Matt finishes the episode with a prediction about the upcoming battle between ‘Wicked: Part One’ and ‘Gladiator 2’ (34:38). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: John Mass Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Comcast's exploration of spinning off its cable assets into a separate company, which could potentially mark the wider restructuring of its NBCUniversal division. They talk about how legacy media companies are struggling with how to handle their linear television business, what a division of assets might look like for Comcast, and whether a streaming partner makes sense for NBC and Peacock (02:43). Matt finishes the show with a ratings prediction for the 2024 presidential election (26:05). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt is joined by Tobias Queisser, the CEO of Cinelytic, to make the case for AI as a tool and not the enemy in Hollywood. He explains how AI can help studios green-light the right movies and help financiers invest in the right projects. He explains how his predictive models work and why AI should not be seen as a villain when it is used on the business side and not for creative (02:27). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Robert Zemeckis’s newest film, ‘Here,’ starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright (24:44). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guests: Tobias Queisser Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from NeueHouse in L.A. Matt is joined by Lucas Shaw and FX CEO John Landgraf for the second half of their conversation about the state of television. They discuss his curation process at FX, how Disney has changed FX, how ‘Shogun’ came together, and what happened with Season 3 of ‘The Bear.’ They also talk about HBO's recent struggles, the importance of process and the problem with the decentralized power at streaming services (01:34). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guests: Lucas Shaw and John Landgraf Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices