The Business

Filmmaker Matthew Heineman discusses directing 'American Symphony' and shares stories of filming Jon Batiste's journey as a musician and husband during his wife's battle with leukemia. The podcast also explores Netflix's shifting priorities, the challenges of financing and making documentary films, and the process of capturing the artistic process in 'American Symphony'.

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni look into the Tom Cruise-Warner Bros. deal and what that means for his projects at Paramount.  Plus, Masters speaks to Jon Batiste about being the subject of American Symphony. The musician explains how the documentary was originally conceived to follow his composition and performance of a symphony, but following his wife’s recurrence of leukemia, the project evolved into an intimate portrait of the couple coping with a life-threatening illness. Batiste shares how director Matthew Heineman spent eight months with the couple, resulting in over 1500 hours of footage, a premiere at Telluride, and distribution by Netflix.

Noah Hawley, creator of Fargo, talks about writing 51 hours of television based on the Coen Brothers film. He also teases his upcoming FX series based on the Alien franchise. The podcast also covers layoffs at Amazon and discussions on various TV shows, ads on Amazon Prime Video, and Paramount's potential plan to take control of the company. They explore the inspiration behind Fargo's latest season and the role of AI in the entertainment industry.

Gary Oldman, star of Apple TV+’s spy thriller series Slow Horses, discusses briefly reuniting with Christopher Nolan in Oppenheimer, working around being typecast in over-the-top roles, and considering stepping away from acting after Slow Horses wraps. Also, the Disney proxy fight continues, involving CEO Bob Iger, activist shareholder Nelson Peltz, former Marvel chairman and CEO Ike Perlmutter, and former Disney exec Jay Rasulo.

The podcast discusses the future plans and predictions for major entertainment companies in 2024, including mergers and joint ventures. It explores Netflix's challenges in terms of password sharing and competition from local players. The rivalry between Netflix and Apple is explored, along with the disappointment and tension in CAA Equity. Predictions are made for the domestic box office, discussing its decline and the challenges of comparing profitability between theaters and streaming platforms.

Hollywood's rollercoaster year is explored, including strikes, box office surprises, and struggles for studios and execs. The use of AI and guild concerns are discussed, along with the success of 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer'. A critically acclaimed movie's marketing strategy and Apple's financial considerations are analyzed. Apple and Amazon's strategies in entertainment are explored, and the struggles of TV shows and executive changes are highlighted.

Netflix released its first report revealing viewership patterns. Why does it matter? What does the data reveal — and what happens next? Then, Past Lives writer-director Celine Song and producer Christine Vachon discuss Song’s foray into filmmaking, their partnership, and the journey of the awards circuit.

SAG-AFTRA members ratify a three-year contract with studios. Plus, actors promote work post-strike, studios license content, and streamers bundle services. Then, Kim Masters revisits a 2014 conversation with legendary television producer Norman Lear, who died Dec. 5 at the age of 101. The force behind TV shows like All in the Family, Maude, Good Times and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, among many others, Lear discusses his memoir Even This I Get to Experience, and shares stories about how he got his first job in television and the line that almost caused CBS to pull the plug on All in the Family.

Disney CEO Bob Iger talks about the company’s many struggles, including his succession, selling ABC, and Marvel troubles during the New York Times’ DealBook Summit. Then, we’re taking it to Broadway: Contributor Jeff Lunden speaks to Tony-winning producers Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley about their streaming platform, BroadwayHD. Lunden also talks with Waitress star Sara Bareilles and producer Jessie Nelson about the live capture and theatrical distribution of their hit musical show.

Filmmaker Justine Bateman and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland discuss Hollywood's lean holiday box office, AI contract language concerns raised by Bateman, challenges in the negotiations, revenue sharing and subscription-based models, and protections in AI contract language within the entertainment industry.