The 2026 Box Office Draft

The 2026 Box Office Draft

Author: The Ringer January 19, 2026 Duration: 38:03
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to conduct the fourth annual box office draft. Matt and Lucas each draft seven blockbuster movies set to be released in 2026 with the goal of making the most money possible against the production budget. Plus, an added twist that allows each person to saddle the other's team with a movie they believe will flop. Follow along with Matt and Lucas here! For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us your thoughts! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thetown@spotify.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo 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
Jeff Probst on What It Takes to Produce ‘Survivor’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:02
Matt is joined by ‘Survivor’ host and showrunner Jeff Probst to go behind the scenes of one of America’s most iconic reality television shows and discuss how the show has sustained its success for 50 seasons, the complic…
Netflix in the Senate Hot Seat, and Disney’s Demographic Problem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:08
Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to get his thoughts after attending the Netflix hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee examining the proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. by N…
The Behind-the-Scenes Jockeying for $10M Super Bowl Ads [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:49
Matt is joined by Adweek’s Bill Bradley to discuss the expensive and competitive battle of Super Bowl advertising. Bill breaks down how many ad slots are available each year, how much they cost, which parts of the game a…
What Disney’s CEO Choice Reveals About Its Next Chapter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:43
Matt is joined by LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield to react to Disney hiring Josh D’Amaro as its next CEO. They discuss why Disney chose the head of Disney Parks in D’Amaro rather than its cochairman of entertainm…
How a YouTuber Took His Self-Financed Movie Wide Without a Studio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:28
Matt is joined by YouTuber Mark Fischbach (also known as Markiplier) to discuss his new movie, ‘Iron Lung,' why he adapted a low-budget indie horror video game, and how he self-financed the film and pulled off a wide rel…
Sundance ’26 Bidding Wars and ‘Melania’ Box Office Prospects [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:27
Live from the last Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Matt is joined by John Sloss, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, to discuss how the Sundance experience has changed over the past 40 years, how the market has change…
Oscar Noms ‘26! Five Big Takeaways and Industry Narratives. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:27
Matt is joined by New York Times reporter and awards season columnist Kyle Buchanan to discuss the biggest industry narratives surrounding this year's Academy Awards nominations (01:29). Matt finishes the show with an op…
The Last Sundance (in Park City) and Why Boulder? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:27
Matt is joined by Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Film Festival, to discuss the last year in Park City, the decision to leave Utah, and what we can expect in Boulder, Colorado. Later, they share some of their…