A new year in Hollywood: what could go wrong?

Kim Masters rings in the new year with Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw to forecast what 2026 could hold for Hollywood. The trio debates Disney’s long-simmering succession question, the impact of Trump administration tariffs on the industry, and YouTube’s growing ambitions in original programming. Listen to their 2026 mega-banter preview.

Jesse Eisenberg on finding the humor in 'A Real Pain'

In one of our favorite conversations of 2025, Kim Masters and Jesse Eisenberg discuss his award-winning film, A Real Pain, and the challenges of capturing the complicated feelings of the descendants of holocaust survivors while still including humor. They also talk about the special relevance that Majdanek–the concentration camp the two cousins visit in the film–has for Masters.

Emily Blunt on looking for the struggle in her characters

Elvis Mitchell talks with Golden Globe nominee Emily Blunt, who recently got a nod for her supporting role as Dawn Staples opposite Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine. Blunt talks about leaning into fear for that performance, her joy working with Johnson on the film, the challenges of playing a real person, and the impact of working through her childhood stutter.

Where Did All The Protest Music Go?

There was a time when popular music was inseparable from civil rights and civil unrest. But today, very few popular songs reflect the grievances seen in the streets. 

Fela Kuti is an artist who wasn’t afraid to make protest music. Known as the father of Afrobeat, his music became the soundtrack for social change in his native Nigeria. He’s the focus of the new podcast Fela Kuti: Fear No Man created by Jad Abumrad. Abumrad tells Sam Sanders about the lasting impact of Kuti’s work, his complicated history, and asks… why are musicians today so afraid to get political?

Joel Edgerton on the role of silence in 'Train Dreams'

Elvis Mitchell welcomes back actor and director Joel Edgerton, who recently earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Netflix’s Train Dreams. Edgerton is also appearing in the psychological thriller The Plague, now in theaters. Edgerton discusses his character's physicality in Train Dreams, the strong female characters in the film, and why he is drawn to parts that explore the complexity of masculinity.