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Matthew Belloni, Eriq Gardner, Julia Alexander, Kim Masters & Scott Mendelson
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Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday
An essential, insider-friendly Hollywood tip sheet from Matthew Belloni, who spent 14 years in the trenches at The Hollywood Reporter and five before that practicing entertainment law. What I’m Hearing also features contributions from veteran Hollywood journalist Kim Masters, media analyst Julia Alexander, entertainment law expert Eriq Gardner, and special box office dispatches from Scott Mendelson.
THE LATEST ARTICLES
Matthew Belloni
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December 23, 2025
Hollywood’s Villain of the Year Is… Sam Altman
A year before the OpenAI C.E.O. gets the ‘Social Network’ movie treatment, the slop-ification of entertainment took a major leap in 2025 thanks to a copyright infringement hub called Sora 2 and Altman’s brazen courtship of Disney.
Matthew Belloni
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December 19, 2025
The Oscars-YouTube Brand Problem
The streamer’s bold bid to host the Academy Awards offers maximum reach for a show that was becoming minimally niche, but mixing prestige and base populism has its potentially problematic downsides.
Matthew Belloni & William D. Cohan
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December 16, 2025
Who Wants Warner Bros. More?
Battle lines have been drawn over David Zaslav’s Warner Bros. Discovery, and both Netflix and Paramount think they have the winning formula. Will the Ellisons get to $34 a share? Can Netflix counter? Is Larry really “backstopping” all the equity? Or is the game already rigged?
Matthew Belloni
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December 12, 2025
Can Media Coverage Buy an Oscar?
Every year, awards contenders and pretenders have been mounting unbridled and financially unchecked press campaigns in the hopes of boosting their chances. A new data analysis reveals that they maybe shouldn’t have bothered.
Matthew Belloni
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December 9, 2025
How High Will the Ellisons Go?
If Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramount’s latest (and very hostile) bid, I’m told that David Ellison will almost certainly offer more. Will Netflix go even higher? Where does it end? Will Trump choose a favorite? The streaming giant has restless shareholders, and Ellison does not.
Matthew Belloni
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December 5, 2025
Is the Netflix-Warners Deal Really Such a Disaster?
Yes, the blockbuster $83 billion acquisition of the Warner Bros. studio and HBO Max would decisively end the streaming wars. And the Ellisons can still blow their lids and go hostile. But amid inevitable consolidation and a likely government challenge, is Ted Sarandos getting his hands on a historic studio definitely the end of Hollywood as we know it?
Matthew Belloni
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November 25, 2025
Will the Ellisons Let Trump Greenlight ‘Rush Hour 4’?
Brett Ratner, the director of three ‘Rush Hour’ films for Warner Bros., was exiled from Hollywood after he was accused of sexual assault. But lately he’s become royalty in Trump world—and with Trump buddy David Ellison trying to acquire WBD, he may have an opportunity to come in from the cold.
Matthew Belloni
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November 25, 2025
Candid Cameron
One of the greatest directors of all time offers a thoughtful assessment of his career evolution (“I was an asshole in the ‘80s”), why Netflix owning Warners would be “a disaster,” the “pure cinema” of performance capture, Bob Iger’s notes on ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ the impact of A.I. on the business, and his friend Elon Musk.
Matthew Belloni
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November 21, 2025
Do We Believe Netflix Loves Movie Theaters Now?
As bids for Warner Bros. Discovery come due and exhibitors prep an antitrust challenge, Ted Sarandos has pledged to play Warners movies in theaters. Is this just a shameless wet kiss to the town and regulators, or another sign of his company’s ability to pivot?
Matthew Belloni
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November 18, 2025
David Ellison Pitches Warners Deal
With bids for the Warner Discovery media empire due soon, the Paramount leaders explained to David Zaslav’s team why their plan is better than others.