The Town with Matthew Belloni The Townies, Part 2: Who Won the Year in Hollywood?
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Dec 23, 2025 
Lucas Shaw, an entertainment reporter at Bloomberg, joins to dissect the highs and lows of Hollywood in a lively awards format. They hand out humorous titles like the Executive Fail of the Year and the Savviest PR Move Award, debating the most outrageous industry blunders and clever strategies. Notably, they analyze celebrity missteps and predict box office success for upcoming films, including 'Marty Supreme'. Expect sharp insights and plenty of laughs as they crown both talent and executives for the year.
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High-Profile Flops Reflect Differing Risks
- Ella McKay's box office failure felt like a bigger embarrassment than Alto Knights' poor showing.
- Matt Belloni argues James L. Brooks' misfire is worse given his smaller filmography and reputation risk.
Legal Clearance Can Sink Big Productions
- The Michael Jackson estate's movie had to be reworked after legal settlements were missed.
- Matt Belloni points to John Branca's failure to clear material, costing tens of millions in reshoots.
Colbert Cancellation Became A PR Nightmare
- Lucas Shaw calls the Colbert cancellation badly mismanaged because of timing and messaging.
- He argues it looked politically motivated and made Paramount the villain during a sensitive regulatory moment.