Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to discuss Paramount settling its lawsuit with a group of states led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, paving the way for Paramount Skydance to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. They dig into the details of the deal, including the concessions (or lack thereof) made by Paramount, who really had leverage in this negotiation, David Ellison’s next move, how the industry is reacting, other winners and losers of the settlement, and more (00:00).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Matt is joined by Zach Baron, GQ's senior special projects editor and host of new show ‘One More Question,’ to discuss the modern celebrity press tour, the art of celebrity profiles, interviewing Tom Cruise, what celebs want out of the media in 2026, and the state of access journalism (02:22). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for Zach Cregger’s new film ‘Resident Evil’ (33:40).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Zach Baron

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to recap the 2026 Emmys and give their takes on the biggest narratives coming ou)t of the show, including Apple’s big night with 'Widow’s Bay,' its ascent in the prestige TV genre over the past few years, its competition with HBO, Netflix’s recent struggles to make a splash, Disney’s quiet year, and the new power ranking of TV streamers (01:51). Matt finishes the show by recapping his trip to TIFF and predicting which movie will win the People’s Choice Award (29:28).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Live from TIFF, Matt is joined by the president of Searchlight Pictures, Matthew Greenfield along with Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss how to run a specialty film division in 2026, what it's like being a part of the Disney machine, how to know if a movie is theatrical, how they compare themselves to their competitors, and how they choose sequels to greenlight (00:00).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Matthew Greenfield, Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Matt is joined by Oliver Berben, CEO of Constantin Film, to discuss the upcoming ‘Resident Evil’ film, how Zach Cregger got involved, how Constantin gained control of the IP, the international film business, franchise management, Constantin’s involvement in Marvel, and how European companies stay relevant in America (01:47). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Practical Magic 2’ (30:44).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Oliver Berben

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss a slew of topics from around town, including the biggest narratives around this year's Emmy Awards, a new report offering skepticism about this summer's huge box office, the chances of a federal tax credit passing, and whether the changes to ‘60 Minutes’ are a good idea (00:00).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guest: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Matt is joined by Puck’s box office expert Scott Mendelson to judge their early summer box office predictions by looking at the biggest hits, misses, and questions from the 2026 summer slate.

'The Devil Wears Prada 2' (02:53)

'Mortal Kombat II' (05:41)

'Mandalorian & Grogu' (06:51)

'Masters of the Universe' (09:09)

'Scary Movie 6' (11:55)

'Disclosure Day' (13:46)

'Toy Story 5' (15:55)

'Supergirl' (17:53)

'Minions & Monsters' (22:15)

'Moana' (27:09)

'The Odyssey' (33:31)

'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' (37:11)

'The End of Oak Street' (42:35)

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Scott Mendelson

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Bob Iger, James Cameron, Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau and More Featured in New Disney+ Documentary ‘Disney Worldbuilders.’ Now Streaming on Disney+.

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Matt is joined by Film USA cofounders Tony Armer and Katie Pryor to discuss President Trump’s public endorsement of a federal tax credit for film production in the United States, how this could reshape filmmaking in America, how it could transform the filmmaking industry, how the tax credit would work, the odds of this passing, what needs to happen next, and more (02:08). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘By Any Means,’ starring Mark Wahlberg (26:57).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Tony Armer and Katie Pryor

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

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Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to examine the biggest industry narratives heading into the final stretch of the year. Can Netflix break its slump? How much will Netflix vs. YouTube continue to escalate? How disruptive will 'Grand Theft Auto VI' be? Who will get World Cup rights in 2030? Will Congress pass a federal tax incentive (01:30)? Matt finishes the show with a prediction about a new venture from AMC Theatres (30:32).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Lucas Shaw

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Nominated for 26 Emmy Awards, including OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES.

This episode is brought to you by Accenture. https://Accenture.com/Spotify

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Matt is joined by the hosts of the Acquired podcast, Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, to discuss their two-part series on the history of The Walt Disney Company; what surprised them the most during their deep research; Disney's most precarious investments, biggest missteps, and best acquisitions; where Disney is today; and how it's positioned for the future (02:08). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for 'Coyote vs. Acme' (34:57).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Nominated for 26 Emmy Awards, including OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES.

Bob Iger, James Cameron, Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau and More Featured in New Disney+ Documentary ‘Disney Worldbuilders.’ Now Streaming on Disney+.

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Live from the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Matt is joined by veteran TV execs Patrick Holland, Jane Root, and Dimitri Doganis to discuss why the U.K. is so good at making hit TV shows, how producers can own more of their shows, YouTube’s influence, and, of course, Harry and Meghan (02:01).

Host: Matt Belloni

Guests: Patrick Holland, Jane Root, and Dimitri Doganis

Producers: Craig Horlbeck, Jessie Lopez, and Stefano Sanchez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Nominated for 26 Emmy Awards, including OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES.

Bob Iger, James Cameron, Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau and More Featured in New Disney+ Documentary ‘Disney Worldbuilders.’ Now Streaming on Disney+.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices