It’s official, KPop Demon Hunters’ sing-along screenings were a resounding success. The film about a KPop girl group who also hunt… well, you know… became an immediate global phenomenon via streaming on Netflix when it was released in June. Now that the desire for communal experiences has been made abundantly clear, what will this mean for the franchise going forward? Kim Masters and her partner in Banter Matt Belloni get into it.
Plus, in an encore conversation from January, Masters speaks to The Brutalist co-writer & director Brady Corbet and co-writer Mona Fastvold. The pair talk about the seven-year battle to get their post war epic to the big screen. They also explain their audacious decision to make a three and a half hour film with an intermission, share thoughts on the state of the country, and Corbet reveals his thoughts about Trump’s plans to demolish brutalist federal buildings.
P.S. Expect to hear much more from Fastvold as the current awards season shapes up, her forthcoming, Amanda Seyfried-led film The Testament of Ann Lee is sure to be on everybody’s lips.
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‘Shrinking’ co-creator & star Jason Segel: Live From KCRW HQ
This week on a special episode of The Business, Kim Masters talks with Shrinking co-creator and star Jason Segel, recorded live at KCRW’s Annenberg Performance Studio. Segel looks back on highlights from Freaks and Geeks, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and The Muppets. He also discusses how Shrinking, now nominated for five Emmys, came together with co-creators Bill Lawrence and Brett Goldstein.
Plus, after closing the $8 billion Paramount Global deal with David Ellison’s Skydance, Shari Redstone tells her story in a New York Times interview: boardroom drama, her doubts about the Ellisons, and the Trump settlement that cleared regulatory hurdles. Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw dig in.
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Paramount leadership announces a knockout deal for UFC rights
David Ellison’s Paramount is off to a loud start, rolling out a James Mangold/Timothée Chalamet crime drama and a $7.7 billion, seven year UFC deal. Will the studio’s bold strategies play out as intended? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break down Paramount’s next act.
Plus, Masters talks to documentarian Petra Costa about Apocalypse in the Tropics, a follow-up to her Oscar-nominated 2019 film The Edge of Democracy. What started as a look at Brazil’s COVID response became an investigation into how religious fundamentalism, conspiracy theories and foreign influence have undermined democracy in her home country. She also recounts documenting the rise and fall of Jair Bolsonaro and the risks her crew faced while covering the country’s January 8th attempted coup.
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‘Severance’ cinematographer Jessica Lee Gagné talks moving into the director’s chair
This week, Kim Masters speaks to Severance director and cinematographer, Jessica Lee Gagné. The Quebecois filmmaker reflects on her collaboration with Severance executive producer Ben Stiller, which began on the Showtime limited series Escape at Dannemora. She discusses becoming the first woman to be Emmy-nominated in the same year for both cinematography and directing in a drama series, and the major leap of faith it took to transition from a successful career as a DP into the world of directing.
Plus, Disney is reshaping its sports strategy, launching a standalone ESPN app, and making billion-dollar deals with WWE and the NFL. Will the NFL's new stake in ESPN bring scrutiny from the Trump-led DOJ? Also, the Skydance-Paramount deal is done, and the Ellisons may have their sights set on Warner Bros. Kim Masters and Matt Belloni break it all down.
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‘Platonic’ creators Francesca Delbanco & Nick Stoller love it when you hate watch
Kim Masters speaks to Platonic co-creators Francesca Delbanco & Nicholas Stoller about what inspired their show about the comedy and complications of grown-up friendships. They talk about the challenge of writing characters—played by Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen—with none of the underlying sexual tension that has propelled so many television comedies to success. They also remember the time that Netflix boss Ted Sarandos sat through a lengthy table read of their first series, Friends from College.
Plus, as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr ramps up scrutiny of major media players, Comcast’s NBCUniversal appears to be his latest target. Is the company’s cable spinoff Versant a calculated play to dodge the Trump administration’s media witch hunt? Kim Masters and Lucas Shaw dig in.
Lively banter about entertainment industry news and in-depth interviews with directors, producers, writers and actors, hosted by award-winning journalist Kim Masters of The Hollywood Reporter.
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