Home Podcasts Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz
Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz

Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz

Kevin Goetz 96 Episodes Aug 19, 2026

Don't Kill the Messenger features in-depth interviews with influential Hollywood executives and filmmakers. Hosted by entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, the conversations are intimate and serve as a filmmaking masterclass. Each episode explores what it takes to bring movies to life, from inception to audience reception. The show is produced at DG Entertainment in Los Angeles.

Episodes

Roy Lee (Prolific Producer & Industry Innovator) on Weapons, Barbarian, The Departed, and Trusting His Instincts
Roy Lee (Prolific Producer & Industry Innovator) on Weapons, Barbarian, The Departed, and Trusting His Instincts Aug 19, 2026 2727 Send Kevin a Text MessageRoy Lee, the producer behind some of Hollywood’s most successful horror films, franchises, and international adaptations, joins host Kevin Goetz to explore the unconventional path that took him from law school to building one of the most prolific producing careers in Hollywood. Lee has produced or executive produced The Ring, The Grudge, The Departed, It, Doctor Sleep, The
Jim Orr (Universal Pictures) & Brandon Purdie (Angel Studios) on Distribution Strategy in Hollywood, Angel's Audience-First Model, & Why Content Is Still King
Jim Orr (Universal Pictures) & Brandon Purdie (Angel Studios) on Distribution Strategy in Hollywood, Angel's Audience-First Model, & Why Content Is Still King Aug 5, 2026 3321 Send Kevin a Text MessageJim Orr is President of Domestic Theatrical Distribution at Universal Pictures. He began his career at Paramount and joined Universal in 2016 after leading distribution at Focus Features and MGM. Brandon Purdie is Executive Vice President and Head of Theatrical Distribution at Angel Studios, the audience-funded studio behind Sound of Freedom, where he helped build a commun
Lauren Shuler Donner (Legendary Producer) on X-Men, Pretty in Pink, and the Producer's Job of Protecting the Vision
Lauren Shuler Donner (Legendary Producer) on X-Men, Pretty in Pink, and the Producer's Job of Protecting the Vision Jul 15, 2026 2868 Send Kevin a Text MessageLauren Shuler Donner, one of Hollywood's most influential and adaptable producers, joins host Kevin Goetz for a wide-ranging career retrospective. Over nearly five decades, Shuler Donner has produced roughly 40 films that have grossed more than $5 billion worldwide — including Mr. Mom, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Dave, Free Willy, and the X-Men franchise she
Bob Bookman (Literary Agent, Manager & Producer) on Adapting Great Books, Discovering Hollywood Classics, and Why the Best Movies Aren't Always Based on the Best Books
Bob Bookman (Literary Agent, Manager & Producer) on Adapting Great Books, Discovering Hollywood Classics, and Why the Best Movies Aren't Always Based on the Best Books Jul 1, 2026 2712 Send Kevin a Text MessageBob Bookman, one of Hollywood's most respected literary agents, managers, and producers, joins host Kevin Goetz for a masterclass on the art of discovering stories that successfully make the leap from page to screen. Over a remarkable career, Bookman has represented authors and filmmakers including Michael Crichton, John Irving, Thomas Harris, Jonathan Demme, Cameron
Sid Ganis (Veteran Studio Executive, Producer) on Marketing Lucas and Spielberg's Biggest Films, Running Studios, & Leading the Academy
Sid Ganis (Veteran Studio Executive, Producer) on Marketing Lucas and Spielberg's Biggest Films, Running Studios, & Leading the Academy Jun 17, 2026 2673 Send Kevin a Text MessageSid Ganis, former President of the Motion Picture Group at Paramount Pictures, former Vice Chairman of Columbia Pictures, and four-term President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, joins host Kevin Goetz for a wide-ranging conversation spanning more than five decades in Hollywood. Ganis traces his path from an office-boy job won through a chance connection
Jeff Annison & Paul Scanlan (Co-Founders, Legion M) on Democratizing Hollywood, Fan Ownership, and the Power of the Audience
Jeff Annison & Paul Scanlan (Co-Founders, Legion M) on Democratizing Hollywood, Fan Ownership, and the Power of the Audience Jun 3, 2026 3636 Send Kevin a Text MessageJeff Annison and Paul Scanlan, Emmy-winning co-founders of the world's first fan-owned entertainment company, Legion M, join host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about disrupting industries, building communities, and betting on the audience. Annison and Scanlan pioneered mobile television at MobiTV and launched the very first equity crowdfunding campaign in U.S. histor
Mark Canton (Producer, Veteran Studio Executive) on Showmanship, Smelling the Circus, and Trusting Your Instincts
Mark Canton (Producer, Veteran Studio Executive) on Showmanship, Smelling the Circus, and Trusting Your Instincts May 20, 2026 3447 Send Kevin a Text MessageMark Canton, producer of 300, Immortals, Men in Black, Air Force One, and My Best Friend's Wedding, former President of Worldwide Production at Warner Bros., and former Chairman of Columbia Pictures and Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Companies, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about a career defined by passion and instinct. From delivering mail on the Warner
Mark Johnson (Academy Award-Winning Producer of Rain Man) on Diverse Storytelling, Discovering Talent, and a Lifelong Passion for Filmmaking
Mark Johnson (Academy Award-Winning Producer of Rain Man) on Diverse Storytelling, Discovering Talent, and a Lifelong Passion for Filmmaking May 6, 2026 2667 Send Kevin a Text MessageMark Johnson, Academy Award-winning producer of Rain Man and Emmy Award-winning executive producer of Breaking Bad, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about a career defined by creative restlessness and uncommon decency. The interview ranges from his transformative partnership with Barry Levinson, which produced Diner, The Natural, and Good Morning Vietnam, to sheph
Ann Sarnoff (First Female CEO of Warner Bros.) on Breaking Barriers, Knowing Your Audience, and Why the Best of Hollywood Is Still Ahead
Ann Sarnoff (First Female CEO of Warner Bros.) on Breaking Barriers, Knowing Your Audience, and Why the Best of Hollywood Is Still Ahead Apr 14, 2026 3081 Send Kevin a Text MessageAnn Sarnoff, the first woman to serve as Chair and CEO of a major Hollywood studio and named one of Forbes' World's Most Powerful Women, joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about her path from a working-class upbringing in Massachusetts to the top of the entertainment industry. From her early days at Nickelodeon pioneering audience research, to guiding Warn
Stuart Ford (Film & Television Producer and Entrepreneur) on Independent Film, Risk Management, and the Future of Hollywood
Stuart Ford (Film & Television Producer and Entrepreneur) on Independent Film, Risk Management, and the Future of Hollywood Apr 1, 2026 3325 Send Kevin a Text MessageStuart Ford, Chairman and CEO of AGC Studios and one of the most influential figures in independent cinema, joins host Kevin Goetz for a candid conversation about his journey from Oxford-educated lawyer to Miramax insider to founder of two major independent studios. Ford reflects on the mentors, deals, and instincts that shaped his career, and shares an optimistic vision f
Ric Roman Waugh (Director, Writer, Producer) on Growing Up in the Stunt World, Filmmaking with Purpose, and Listening to the Audience
Ric Roman Waugh (Director, Writer, Producer) on Growing Up in the Stunt World, Filmmaking with Purpose, and Listening to the Audience Mar 18, 2026 3153 Send Kevin a Text MessageFilmmaker Ric Roman Waugh joins host Kevin Goetz for a conversation about his unconventional path from stuntman's son to one of Hollywood's most distinctive action directors. Waugh discusses growing up inside the stunt world, his mentors, and his mission to make commercial action films that also deliver an important message. During the conversation, he touches on
Robert Wagner (Legendary Actor) on Eight Decades in Hollywood, the Studio System, and a Life in Film & Television
Robert Wagner (Legendary Actor) on Eight Decades in Hollywood, the Studio System, and a Life in Film & Television Mar 4, 2026 2577 Send Kevin a Text MessageHollywood icon Robert Wagner (known as “RJ”) joins host Kevin Goetz for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation about his life and career. From caddying alongside Clark Gable and Cary Grant to starring opposite Spencer Tracy. From the golden age of the studio system to reinventing himself as a television star, Wagner reflects on the journey that made him one of Hollywood&ap

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