Matthew Belloni

As the industry—even the creative class—shifts to cautiously accept A.I., a Cate Blanchett–founded nonprofit is pushing to adopt a framework of consent for performers. Meanwhile, the business is groping around for new ratings standards in an effort to separate out the slop.

Matthew Belloni Welcome back to What I’m Hearing, very late for no reason other than it was a very busy week. Happy summer Friday, I’m headed to New York next week for meetings and such, shoot me a note if you’d like to say hello. Today, the A.I. train has officially pulled into the Hollywood […]

Jun 1, 2026 Matthew Belloni Welcome back to What I’m Hearing, headed to New York this week in part to avoid the discourse if Spencer Pratt does/does not advance toward becoming L.A. mayor. Tonight, it’s the big box office weekend that broke open Hollywood… or is it? My take on Backrooms, Obsession, YouTuber filmmakers, and […]

Given all the credit grabs on Backrooms this weekend—everyone from the various producers to YouTube’s P.R. team are out there touting the shocking $118 million global opening for a $10 million fantasy thriller based on a 4Chan meme—I figured I’d start at the beginning. Or at least at the beginning of this movie’s wild journey.

Jun 2, 2026 Matthew Belloni Hello and welcome back to the Tuesday edition of What I’m Hearing, helmed by Eriq Gardner. Tonight, just when you thought the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni case had “settled,” Eriq analyzes yesterday’s contentious hearing and the possibility that a new lawsuit will be filed. Plus, how Disney is manhandling Trump’s F.C.C. […]

With ‘60 Minutes’ in chaos and star correspondent Lesley Stahl hiring superagent Bryan Lourd to guide her future, the Paramount owner may soon need to decide how much he’ll let Bari Weiss disrupt the show—and the news division—before reining her in.

Matthew Belloni Hello and welcome back to a special Wednesday edition of What I’m Hearing helmed by Julia Alexander. Tonight, Julia looks at Fox Creator Studios, the Murdochs’ new attempt to compete with digital platforms like YouTube—not by luring talent away but by partnering with creators native to those platforms. Over to Julia… Mentioned in […]

Now that Stephen Colbert has exited the late night cage match, one Jimmy has been collecting the spoils. But a strong NBA lead-in and shared political leanings are giving ABC an early advantage—and could reverberate across YouTube and beyond.

Plus: Did Quinta balk at the prospect of the Ellisons? Where are we on a Wasserman deal? Is Tom Hardy really trying to get back into Mobland? And more of readers’ hottest questions answered in a mailbag edition of What I’m Hearing.

Amazon, which made headlines earlier this year by spending $75 million to make and market a fawning Melania Trump documentary, is now doing the opposite: Dumping a nearly finished film that paints a powerful tech figure and Trump ally in a negative light.