Sora Is Dead: What Does That Mean for Disney? Plus, ‘The Bachelorette’ Scandal.
The episode examines the abrupt shutdown of OpenAI's video‑generation app Sora and its fallout for Disney, which had invested $1 billion and secured rights to 200 of its characters. Host Matt Bellany and tech reporter Alex Heath discuss why OpenAI reprioritized its resources toward enterprise and coding AI, leaving Sora as a casualty, and how this impacts Disney's digital strategy, including its partnership with Epic Games on a Fortnite‑based Disney universe. They also touch on the broader tension between Hollywood's desire for AI‑driven user‑generated content and the tech industry's shifting focus, while briefly noting the concurrent Bachelorette scandal.
Gosling, MBJ, Timmy, and the Biggest Movie Stars Under 50 Power Ranking
In this episode of The Town, hosts Matt Bellany and Lucas Shaw dissect the current hierarchy of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars under 50, using box‑office draw as the sole metric. They debate the merits of Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Gosling, Timothée Chalamet,...
Secrets to Commercial Filmmaking With 'The Housemaid' Director Paul Feig
In this episode, host Matt Bellany talks with director Paul Feig about the unexpected blockbuster success of his thriller The Housemaid, which turned a modest $35 million budget into nearly $400 million worldwide. Feig explains his data‑driven, audience‑first process—rigorous test screenings, real‑time...
How to De-Age the Oscars with Amelia Dimoldenberg
In this bonus episode of The Town, host Matt Bellany talks with Amelia Dimoldenberg, the official social‑media ambassador and red‑carpet correspondent for the Oscars, about how the Academy is trying to make the ceremony relevant to Gen Z and younger...
How to Chart a Career Path in Modern Hollywood, With Rachel Sennott
In this episode of The Town, host Matt Bellany chats with multi‑talented actor‑writer‑producer Rachel Sennott about carving a career path in today’s Hollywood. Rachel recounts how she broke out of NYU’s siloed acting program by collaborating with film students, building...
The Retro Innovation of ‘The Pitt,’ With Lead Producer John Wells
In this episode of The Town, host Matt Bellany talks with veteran TV producer John Wells about the unconventional production model behind HBO Max’s procedural drama “The Pit.” Wells explains how the show revives the classic broadcast‑style format—15 episodes per...
Sony Film CEO on Losing ‘Sinners’ and the Endless Big Tech Battle
In this episode, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group chairman Tom Rothman discusses Sony’s recent slate—including new Spider‑Man, Jumanji, Resident Evil, and the original animated film Goat—and how the studio thrives without its own streaming platform by partnering with giants like...
Why the Former Sony Head Blames Himself for the Infamous Hack
In this episode, host Matt Belloni sits down with Michael Lynton, former Sony Pictures CEO and current Snap Inc. chairman, to dissect his decision to greenlight the controversial comedy "The Interview" and the subsequent 2014 Sony hack. Lynton reflects on...
The Casey Wasserman Scandal, and Who Wants to Buy His Agency
In this episode, Matt Belloni and Bloomberg analyst Lucas Shaw dissect the fallout from Casey Wasserman's decision to put his entertainment agency up for sale, exploring the internal Hollywood power struggles that prompted the move. They evaluate potential suitors, ranging...
Should Hollywood Take the Microdrama Boom Seriously?
In this episode, Matt Belloni talks with Shicong Zhu, head of West Coast Studios at DramaBox, about the rapid rise of vertical micro-dramas and their profitability. They explore how these short-form series are produced on shoestring budgets, which genres thrive...
Jeff Probst on What It Takes to Produce ‘Survivor’
In this episode, host Matt Belloni sits down with Jeff Probst, the longtime host and showrunner of "Survivor," to explore the behind‑the‑scenes mechanics that have kept the reality series thriving for 50 seasons. Probst breaks down the show's massive production...