The Business

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down a  letter  signed by hundreds of SAG-AFTRA members calling on union leaders to protect Pro-Palestine members from being blacklisted.  Plus, Masters speaks to Warsaw-based filmmaker Maciek Hamela, whose documentary  In The Rearview  traces the stories of refugees fleeing Ukraine. The film originated from Hamela’s personal experi...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the secret battle for succession among the family of billionaire Rupert Murdoch. They also take a look at a curious Wall Street Journal profile on Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro.  Plus, we revisit Masters’ conversation with writer Justin Kuritzkes about the rollout of his first screenplay, Challengers, now a full-fledged film directed by Lu...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni banter about the summer box office, noting that it started with a whimper but is ending with a bang thanks to a sequel and two superheroes. Edgar Bronfman Jr. has withdrawn his bid for Paramount, and as the Venice Film Festival kicks off, Italy's increasingly right-wing government is courting Hollywood productions. Additionally, Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, the write...

Matt Belloni and Alex Weprin discuss Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s unexpected bid for Paramount Studios, challenging the existing agreement with Skydance Media. Plus, Slow Horses kicks off its new season with nine Emmy nominations, including Best Drama Series and Best Actor in a Drama for Gary Oldman. Eric Deggans revisits his interview with Oldman, where the actor shares insights into his career, the chal...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss recent Hollywood developments, including Joaquin Phoenix's sudden exit from a film just days before shooting and Paramount Pictures' decision to shut down a studio and layoff 2,000 workers. The industry grapples with uncertainty as Paramount and other major players navigate shifting dynamics.  Plus, NPR’s TV critic and media analyst, Eric Deggans spe...

Kim Masters and Matt Beloni discuss Hollywood’s second quarter earnings reports. Disney turned an early profit for streaming service ESPN+, but amusement park attendance still worried Wall Street. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery cites struggling TV business for $9 Billion loss.  Plus, Kim Masters speaks with filmmaker Greg Kwedar about his new film “Sing Sing.” Everyone in...

Kim Masters banters with Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw about the future of Apple’s place in the streaming landscape. Apple TV+ has produced some of the most expensive series and movies in recent years. Now, the company wants to reign in spending after struggling to grow their audience. Plus, The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper joins us to talk about mining comedy from the increasingly &ldqu...

It’s been more than two years since anyone watched the second season finale of HBO’s “Euphoria.” Season three was delayed by the strikes that shut down Hollywood, and a series of dramatic events surrounding the creator Sam Levinson. The network has confirmed its return, but will the audience stay tuned-in? Plus, Comcast and its streaming service Peacock are hoping the Olymp...

The 2024 Emmy nominations are here, with lots of record-breaking nods and surprises to unpack — along with the strategy behind Disney’s acquisition of FX. What does the success of Shōgun and The Bear say about streaming? And does a new Bank of America report on Warner Bros. Discovery suggest… “unbundling”? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break it down.  Plus, in ho...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the Paramount-Skydance merger. They also look at CNN’s digital future after the company lays off 100 employees, and weigh in on Kevin Costner’s sad “Horizon” rollout.  Plus, Masters speaks to Muta’Ali, director of the HBO documentary “MoviePass, MovieCrash.” The filmmaker talks about his desire to center the story...

Kim Masters and guest Banterer Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg News discuss the latest twist in the Paramount saga: Just after billionaire Barry Diller raised his hand as a potential buyer, the Skydance-Paramount deal is resurrected from the dead. Plus, Masters returns with an encore of her 2021 interview with Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky, two of the three showrunners behind the award-winning HBO Max ser...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the tentative deal reached by the major Hollywood studios and IATSE, the union representing below-the-line workers. They also break down NBC’s effort to boost streaming numbers with Olympics recaps from an A.I.-generated version of sports broadcaster Al Michaels. Plus, Masters speaks to Lance Oppenheim, director of the new HBO docu-series Ren Faire, about...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the dissolution of the Paramount-Skydance merger after Shari Redstone calls it quits on the deal. They also discuss Sony’s purchase of Alamo Drafthouse theaters. Plus, Masters speaks to Rob Reiner and Albert Brooks about Reiner’s HBO documentary, Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. The legendary filmmakers talk about their early years in the industry and they tal...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the complicated situation developing at Paramount as controlling shareholder Shari Redstone determines the future of the company.  Plus, Eric Deggans speaks to comedian and Chappelle’s Show co-creator Neal Brennan about his Netflix standup special, Crazy Good. Brennan talks about what he and friends Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock have taught each other about the...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down the latest NBA news at Warner Bros. Discovery. They also discuss activist investor Nelson Peltz’s decision to sell his entire stake in Disney, and why Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos thinks last summer’s biggest theatrical hits would have fared as well on the streamer.  Plus, Masters speaks to the head of domestic distribution at Paramount, Chris Aronson. The long-...

A frighteningly  lackluster  summer box office, human ScarJo  dukes it out  with OpenAI’s ‘definitely-not-supposed-to-sound-like-ScarJo’ ScarJo, and the movies  making noise  at this year’s  Cannes Film Festival –not necessarily in a good way. Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down this week’s news in a special Spring Megabanter episode of  The Business .

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down the biggest stories to come out of the 2024 Upfronts. They also take a look at the latest streaming bundle announcement between Netflix, Apple TV+, and Peacock. Plus, Masters speaks with Jane Schoenbrun about their film, I Saw the TV Glow. The director talks about how growing up in the suburbs was the inspiration for the sinister setting in their A24-backed...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the latest at Warner Bros. Discovery following the company’s Q1 earnings report. They also dive into the announced streaming package bundling Max, Disney+, and Hulu. Plus, Eric Deggans speaks to writer Russell T Davies about the new season of Doctor Who on Disney+. Davies talks about casting Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa as the latest Doctor, why having Disney on...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss why Comcast’s proposed bid for NBA TV rights put Warner Bros. Discovery in a tight spot. They also get into the latest at Paramount as a potential merger inches closer.  Plus, Eric Deggans speaks to legendary actress Pam Grier about her storied career in filmmaking and appearing in Prime Video’s horror anthology series, Them . The pioneering female action star...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the surprising decision made by the New York State Court of Appeals to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction.  Plus, Masters speaks to writer Justin Kuritzkes about the rollout of his first effort at writing a movie, Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers . He talks about how the Zendaya-led film was inspired by a particular US Open match that turned him into...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni take a look at Jeff Skoll’s decision to close Participant Media after 20 years. And the banter partners break down why two congress members sent a letter addressed to the heads of Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery about their in-development joint sports streamer affectionately nicknamed “Spulu.”  Plus, Masters speaks to Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz about thei...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni dive into the challenges faced by legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola as he struggles to find distribution for his self-financed passion project, Megalopolis. The Banter partners also take a look at the risks behind David Ellison’s bid to acquire Paramount parent company National Amusements. Plus, Eric Deggans speaks to comedian Mike Birbiglia and documentary film...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni take a quick look at Ari Emanuel-led Endeavor going private, and the banter partners break down the outcome of the long battle between Nelson Peltz and Disney.  Plus, on this special episode of The Business, Kim Masters speaks to director James Hawes about his film One Life, which tells the story of Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved more than 600 children, including Maste...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni report on the latest in the Disney proxy battle, and the banter partners examine the outrage of NBC staff following the brief, yet confounding, hiring of former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel. Plus, Masters speaks to writers Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo about their FX limited series, Shōgun . The husband and wife creative team talk about how they’ve been granted more contro...

Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw examine four Disney executives poised to take the throne in 2026 following CEO Bob Iger’s proposed retirement.   Plus, we revisit our conversation with Steven Yeun, who joined Kim Masters to talk about his Emmy winning limited series, Beef . The actor talks about his initial fears of not living up to expectations after being cast in what would become an Academy Award-no...