The Town with Matthew Belloni

Morgan Neville, Oscar-winning documentarian behind 20 Feet from Stardom, discusses two years of unprecedented access to Lorne Michaels. He recounts surprising personal moments, Michaels' backstage rituals and pep talks, decisions from dress rehearsal to live show, and who might follow in his footsteps. Short, intimate stories about power, rhythm, and the SNL machine.

Michael O’Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United and chief exhibition industry lobbyist, talks about a new filmmakers council featuring names like Jerry Bruckheimer and Ryan Coogler. He discusses the upbeat start to the 2026 box office. They cover how top creators can push for theatrical windows, theater improvements, and the role of streaming strategies in protecting moviegoing.

Jonathan Handel, labor lawyer, journalist, and author, breaks down the surprise WGA tentative deal and its stakes. He outlines the headline wins like pay, healthcare rescue, and AI protections. They discuss why the pact came quickly, the four-year compromise, internal union ironies, and whether this will nudge other Hollywood guilds toward labor peace.

Todd Garner, film producer and former studio exec known for action and comedy hits, shares findings from a 3,600-film study on runtimes. He discusses rising action runtimes, why auteur-driven films are getting longer, theatrical vs streaming incentives, and how pacing and fan culture shape film length.

Jason Richman, UTA partner who packages book-to-screen adaptations, discusses why book adaptations are back in theaters. Short takes on scouting manuscripts before publication. Talks optioning pitfalls for authors and which genres and authors studios are chasing now. Covers rescuing stalled rights, author involvement in adaptations, and what kinds of projects sell without attached talent.

Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg media reporter who covers streaming and sports rights, joins to unpack Netflix's recent price hikes and the push toward ad-supported tiers. They dive into Netflix's foray into eventized sports with MLB Opening Day and who might buy big baseball rights in 2028. They also react to HBO's new Harry Potter trailer and place it in the wave of millennial nostalgia.

Adam Schiff, U.S. senator from California and longtime industry policymaker, discusses a federal film and TV tax incentive to bring production back to LA. He explores why productions left, how a 15% baseline credit with add-ons could work, and the politics of winning bipartisan support. Conversation also covers studio consolidation, local permitting failures, and stakes for Los Angeles’ economy.

Alex Heath, tech reporter and author of the Sources newsletter, breaks down OpenAI's sudden shutdown of video app Sora and why priorities shifted from consumer video to enterprise and coding. He discusses Hollywood’s reaction, Disney’s options after the pullout, and how Epic Games’ layoffs could reshape Disney’s gaming investments. A separate segment covers fallout from a major reality TV scandal and its business consequences.

Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg reporter who tracks the film business and box office trends. They unpack Project Hail Mary’s surprise $140M weekend. They debate whether filmmakers or franchises are safer bets. They re-rank the biggest movie stars under 50, weighing Gosling’s breakout weekend against Chalamet’s consistency and sizing up contenders like Michael B. Jordan, Zendaya, ScarJo and Ryan Reynolds.

Paul Feig, director and writer behind Bridesmaids, Spy and The Housemaid, talks commercial filmmaking with a focus on audience-tested storytelling. He explains his heavy use of test screenings, designing films to provoke strong theater reactions, mixing genres for broad appeal, marketing stunts that spark word-of-mouth, and centering female perspectives on set.