The Business

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss the alleged years of abuse and inappropriate behavior on Nickelodeon sets as shown in ID’s new docuseries, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.  Plus, Eric Deggans talks to actors Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira about reprising their breakout roles as Rick and Michonne Grimes on The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Gurira shares why writing an episode of the...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the latest developments in the Disney proxy fight. They also take a look at a peculiar lawsuit filed against CBS Studios and Paramount.  Plus, Masters speaks to writer Tony McNamara about his Academy Award-nominated screenplay for the Yorgos Lanthimos film, Poor Things. He talks about how he and Lanthimos managed to take a book about Scottish nationalism and tu...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down the latest executive hires at Netflix and Disney. They also take a look at Kevin Costner’s ambitious  plans  to theatrically release a four-part film saga set in the Old West.  Plus, NPR contributor Jeff Lunden speaks to composer Laura Karpman about her work on two vastly different 2023 films: the Disney juggernaut  The Marvels,  and Cord Jefferson’s sharp c...

PREVIEW: Kim Masters speaks to writer Tony McNamara, who adapted a 1992 Alasdair Gray novel into the Oscar nominated Yorgos Lanthimos film,  Poor Things . Tune in to The Business on March 8th to hear the full interview with McNamara, where he shares how his toddler inspired him to write Emma Stone’s favorite line in the Academy Award nominated screenplay.  

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine FuboTV’s $1 billion lawsuit seeking to halt the development of the recently announced Fox, Disney, and Warner Brothers Discovery sports streaming service. They also take a look at Sony’s struggles with live action Marvel films. Plus, Masters speaks to filmmaker and war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov about his documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol . The BAFTA-winning...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the latest updates in the Disney proxy vote saga. Also, has peak TV officially ended? The banter partners break down FX chairman John Landgraf’s recent remarks on the current state of television.   Plus, Masters speaks to Oppenheimer writer and director Christopher Nolan and American Prometheus co-author Kai Bird about adapting the film’s Pulitzer Prize winning...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni take a look at the big surprises revealed during Disney’s Q1 earnings call. They also dive into the announcement of ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox’s joint sports streaming service set to debut this year. Plus, Masters speaks to writer-director Ed Zwick about his new memoir, Hits, Flops and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood. The filmmaker shar...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine media mogul Byron Allen’s offer to acquire Paramount Global. They also take a closer look at the Netflix-WWE deal in the wake of WWE founder Vince McMahon’s resignation following allegations of battery and sex trafficking. Plus, Masters is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Executive Awards Editor Scott Feinberg to discuss the frontrunners, surprises, and snubs...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni examine the latest happenings at Netflix and Jon Stewart’s surprise return to The Daily Show.   Plus, Masters speaks with Matthew Heineman about directing American Symphony. The filmmaker describes the process of documenting musician Jon Batiste and his wife Suleika Jaouad through her battle with leukemia. Heineman also shares how he snuck into the Grammys to film Bati...

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...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni take stock of layoffs at Amazon as a result of consolidation and reorganizing across its studios. Eric Deggans speaks to Fargo creator Noah Hawley about the fifth season of his anthology series. The writer and director talks about the challenges of writing 51 hours of television based on the Coen Brothers film of the same name. He also teases his upcoming FX series bas...

Eric Deggans speaks to Gary Oldman about starring in Apple TV+’s spy thriller series, Slow Horses. He also talks about the joys of briefly reuniting with Christopher Nolan in Oppenheimer, how he worked around being typecast in over-the-top roles, and why he’s considering stepping away from acting after Slow Horses wraps.  Plus, the Disney proxy fight continues, with CEO Bob Iger gearing up to stav...

What will 2024 hold for Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney, Netflix, and mega-agencies CAA and Endeavor?

Hollywood’s messy year: Strikes disrupted show biz, the box office surprised, studios and execs struggled, and streamers started licensing. Kim Masters, Matt Belloni, and Lucas Shaw look into the main Hollywood events of 2023.

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 oth...

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...

Kim Masters and Matt Belloni discuss what’s shaping up to be a lean holiday box office and what success for movies looks like — and how it’s perceived — when it comes to theatrical versus streaming releases. Then, filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA generative AI advisor Justine Bateman joins to share her concerns over the union's new contract, while Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland explains why it’s...

WBD is looking for a buyer for its Coyote vs. Acme film. Can it find one? Plus, an AI-generated Édith Piaf biopic is in the works at Warner Music. Filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli talks with Kim Masters about his Nicolas Cage-led film, “Dream Scenario,” directing commercials, and how the Norwegian Film Institute unknowingly funded his projects conceived in LA.

SAG-AFTRA reaches a tentative deal with studios after 118 days on strike. Was the deal a win? What is in it? Plus, WBD and Disney earnings news. Legendary sitcom director James Burrows talks with Eric Deggans, NPR TV critic and guest-host on The Business , about the revival of Frasier , his directing career, and whether sitcoms can endure on streaming services.

First, HBO CEO Casey Bloys asked staffers to create fake Twitter accounts to fight critics of the network. What’s all the attention about? Plus, Disney is finally buying Hulu. Actress-comedian Leslie Jones discusses her tell-all memoir, overcoming personal and career obstacles, and her relationship with ‘SNL’ creator, Lorne Michaels.

The actors’ strike forges on as Hollywood reckons with the impact of the Hamas-Israel conflict and streamers raise prices — again. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans talks with comic-book-author-turned-showrunner Robert Kirkman about the new animated adaptation of his print series Invincible, modernizing the superhero genre, and why he’s not worried about comic book adaptation fatigue.

The CEO of Endeavor, Ari Emanuel, attacked rival Bryan Lourd, head of the talent agency CAA, at Bloomberg’s Screentime conference. What’s behind the feud?  Documentarian Ken Burns talks about his latest project, The American Buffalo ,  his career, financing projects, and controversies, including a recently surfaced photo of him posing along Clarence Thomas and David Koch.

Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour concert film is out in theaters. Was this a good deal for Swift and AMC? And will this become a trend with other artists? This week on The Business , Kim Masters revisits an interview with Sterlin Harjo, co-creator of the hit comedy series Reservation Dogs on FX.

As the actors’ strike continues, Netflix announces a price hike. What does this mean for subscribers and the streamer?  Then, Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter talks about her new book, collaborating with Spike Lee and Steven Spielberg, and the joys and challenges of costume designing for Black Panther .