logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
31m 55s

Has Pixar Lost its Magic Touch?

The Ringer
About this episode

Matt is joined by The Hollywood Reporter’s Rebecca Keegan to discuss Pixar’s recent cold streak, who’s to blame, and if it can be rectified. They talk about whether their pandemic misfires has caused permanent damage, why their movies cost so much more than every other animation studio, and how leadership and the creative process has changed over the years. Matt finishes the show with two predictions about the opening weekends for ‘The Flash’ and Pixar’s ‘Elemental’.


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: Rebecca Keegan


Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez

Theme Song: Devon Renaldo

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Yesterday
Part 1 With Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro: AI, Live Events, and the Four-Day Work Week
Matt is joined by WME and TKOs Ari Emanuel and Mark Shapiro to discuss their new company, Mari. They talk about why they are betting on live experiences, the possibility of the four-day work week changing the way we live, the state of the talent business, and how we should be thi ... Show More
31m 14s
Oct 7
David Ellison’s $150M Bet on Bari Weiss and a New-Look CBS News
Matt is joined by Semafor cofounder Ben Smith to discuss what to expect from CBS News in the David Ellison and Bari Weiss era. Ellison, the new owner of Paramount, has tasked 41-year-old Weiss to run its news division and also acquired her company The Free Press for $150 million. ... Show More
32m 19s
Oct 6
The 'Smashing Machine’ Bomb and A24’s Big-Budget Burden
Matt and Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw use the disappointing box office performance for A24’s sports drama ‘The Smashing Machine’ with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to examine the current state of A24, the difficulty of living up to its sky-high valuation, and the natural life cycle of a gr ... Show More
32m 25s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
Slate Money: Movies: Michael Clayton
Welcome to Slate Money Goes to the Movies, a miniseries in which Felix Salmon, Anna Szymanski, and a different guest each week discuss popular business-themed movies.  This week, Felix and Anna are joined by Peter Kafka, a senior correspondent at Recode and host of the Recode Med ... Show More
45m 54s
Jun 2023
Cava Crushes In IPO, Has Pixar Lost It's Fastball? & Ticketmaster Gets Honest
Episode 83: Not Toby set his alarm extra early and has made his return. Welcome back Kyle Hagge! He and Neal get into Cava's monstrous IPO debut after their stock doubled on Thursday. Plus, with Pixar's newest movie "Elemental" coming out, can the studio recover from some of thei ... Show More
27m 12s
Apr 2020
"Misinformation Is So Dangerous..." (w/ Matt & Bowen)
Matt and Bow: A Tale of Two Coasts! The boys connect while socially distancing due to Covid-19 and discuss this new (but temporary!) normal, as well as the habits they've developed in isolation. They touch base on the culture that's gone down over the past month including the Rea ... Show More
1h 11m
Apr 2022
Slate Money: Everything Is Market Manipulation
This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers talk about what’s happening with Disney and the Reedy Creek improvement district, Elon Musk’s alignment with the far right, and the criminal charges filed against Archegos founder, Bill Hwang.  In the Plus segment: All a ... Show More
51m 8s
Mar 2022
Culture Gabfest: Drive My Batmobile
This week, New York Times columnist and Slate graduate, Jamelle Bouie, fills in for Steve as the panel begins by entering the Gotham of Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Then, for our final pre-Oscars round-up, the panel digs into Best Picture nominee Drive My Car. Finally, the panel disc ... Show More
58m 55s
Jun 2021
The death of ‘girlboss’ | What's the Story?
It’s been almost a decade since the idea of the “girlboss” emerged in the corporate world. And while the concept had feminist intentions, the conflation of feminism and capitalism has lead to its downfall. Senior culture writer, Alex Abad-Santos (@alex_abads) explains why we were ... Show More
14m 4s
Jan 2021
Inside Out with Meg LeFauve
Pixar movies are always emotional journeys – quite literally in the case of Inside Out. Having sent audiences into the cosmos with Wall-E and into the clouds with Up, the revered animation studio went for a more introspective approach in 2015 with this heartwarming story set enti ... Show More
1 h
Nov 2020
'The Avengers' | Marvel
Mal and Jason lift off from the helicarrier and dive deep into one of the biggest blockbusters of them all for the culmination of Phase 1: 'The Avengers'! They talk about the film's development, how the theme of teamwork makes the film soar, and why the movie is important to pop ... Show More
2h 30m
Mar 2023
Law Roach’s Early Retirement, Ben Affleck’s Appearance on The Hollywood Reporter, and Taylor Swift's Real Estate | Jam Session
Juliet and Amanda are back to discuss some interesting pop culture news, featuring celebrity fashion stylist Law Roach’s early retirement decision following a recent viral video of him and Zendaya at the Louis Vuitton fashion show. The two go in depth on their thoughts about his ... Show More
37m 41s