Is This Hollywood’s First Practical Solution to Control AI?

Is This Hollywood’s First Practical Solution to Control AI?

Author: The Ringer June 3, 2026 Duration: 35:11
Matt is joined by RSL Media Founder Nikki Hexum to discuss her non-profit founded with actress Cate Blanchett that aims to protect artists against AI by requiring a consent framework for name, image, and likeness. Nikki outlines the infrastructure of her company, why this is necessary, how this era of AI is similar to the Napster era from the early 2000s, and why an AI company would participate in this (03:03). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about Taylor Swift’s new song in 'Toy Story 5' (28:04). Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Nikki Hexum Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Matt Pevic Theme Song: Devon Renaldo In this darkly comedic series, a love triangle ends in death. Watch now. Watch Deli Boys at hulu.com. Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers. Terms apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever wonder what Hollywood executives are really arguing about in their private meetings, or how the fate of a billion-dollar franchise gets decided over a tense lunch? That’s the kind of access you get with The Town with Matthew Belloni. Hosted by Puck founding partner Matt Belloni, this isn't just industry gossip-it's a direct line to the mechanics of entertainment, powered by exclusive reporting and decades of insight. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the stories behind the stories, whether it's the strategy of the latest streaming war or the creative battles inside a Marvel movie. Several times a week, Belloni sits down with the major players themselves: the dealmakers, studio heads, and journalists who are shaping what we watch. Their conversations cut straight to the core of what’s getting made and why, pinpointing who’s winning and who’s losing in real time. Listening to this podcast feels like having a front-row seat to the most important conversations in show business, the ones that happen after the cameras stop rolling. For anyone fascinated by the intersection of power, money, and creativity in culture, The Town delivers the unfiltered context that turns headlines into understanding.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Town with Matthew Belloni
Podcast Episodes
A Sit-Down With Blake Lively’s Lead Litigator [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:24
Matt is joined by litigator Michael Gottlieb to unpack the latest news in the Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni battle, who actually won, why the saga isn't over yet, if there is any regret for how things have unfolded, how mu…
The 2026 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Ranking [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:37
It’s almost May, which means summer blockbuster season has officially begun. Matt welcomes back Puck’s Scott Mendelson to run through the most highly anticipated films of the summer, ranking each one by their box office…
Peacock’s Battle for Survival and the Catch 22 of Streaming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:00
Matt is joined by Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw to briefly discuss Matt’s experience at the White House Correspondents' Dinner before diving into the latest struggles for Peacock after a first-quarter loss of $432M despite incr…
WarnerMount One Step Closer and the Bizarre ‘Michael’ Backstory [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:52
Matt is joined by Semafor’s business and finance editor Liz Hoffman to discuss Wall Street's view of the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, this morning's WBD shareholder vote to approve the $110B deal, the non-binding rejec…
Could Hollywood Actually De-Monopolize? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:27
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss the state of the various high-profile antitrust cases in Hollywood, particularly how skeptical the states are of the Tegna-Nexstar and Live Nation–Ticketmaster mergers.…