LIVE: Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy (Warner Bros) on Tuesday; Jason Blum (Blumhouse) in September
Subscribers can watch these conversations live. Paid subscribers can watch these conversations whenever.
“It's been a long time (long time)
I shouldn't have left you (left you)
Without a dope beat to step to
Step to, step to, step to…”
I’ve been quiet here for a few weeks. Blame a vacation that turned into a miniature pilgrimage: The site of James Baldwin’s former home in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, positively indecent amounts of good food with good friends, and a night at Stade Bauer to watch Red Star host Amiens in Ligue 2. Consider me spiritually restored.
But now I’m back, and I come bearing gifts I promised when I launched this Substack:
INTERVIEWS!
WHO AND WHEN
Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy - Co-Chairs & CEOs, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
Tuesday, August 19 · 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET (live on Substack Video)Jason Blum - Founder & CEO, Blumhouse
Thursday, September 11 · 1:00 pm PT / 4:00 pm ET (live on Substack Video)
HOW THIS WILL WORK
Watching the live conversations will be free for all subscribers (paid or free).
After the conversation, full video will live behind the paywall. I’ll publish highlights/excerpts for everyone, but paid subscribers will get the complete video archive of everything to watch whenever they’d like.
WHY THEM? WHY NOW?
If you’ve been following Warner Bros at all in 2025, you know how quickly the narrative has changed for Mike & Pam: from “can they survive” to “who gets the credit” in five short months. The studio notched a first-ever run of six straight $40M+ openings, and yes, SINNERS was a flashpoint for a lot of that discourse. If you missed my essay on the data and the rhetoric around it that launched this very Substack, give “Take That for Data” a read. (Know though that it won’t be the primary focus Tuesday, but it frames some questions I want to ask.)
As for Jason, I’m a long time admirer of how he’s redefined the industry’s approach to how films are financed and distributed and how artists are compensated for them. I’m also a big fan of his transparency about how this industry works. Look no further than these two interviews for evidence of what I’m talking about.
Here’s hoping we can go even deeper in our conversation in September.
GOT QUESTIONS
To the best of my ability, this is going to be straight talk on systems and decision-making, plus their read on the future. I’d not proud though: Add your best questions in the comments below. I may pull from them (with credit).
Pitch future guests, too (They don’t have to be limited to the film or entertainment world. You never know who might show up.)
FINAL REMINDER
Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy — Tuesday, August 19, 2 pm PT / 5 pm ET
Jason Blum — Thursday, September 11, 1 pm PT / 4 pm ET
If you’re not subscribed, hit the button so you get the live link in your inbox. If you want to watch on your own schedule afterward, upgrade to a paid subscription.
Otherwise, back to regularly scheduled programming. Travel’s over (for at least a few days), Baldwin’s still on my mind, and football season has, unfortunately for you, begun anew and remains eternal in this space. See you Tuesday.