Don't Kill the Messenger with Movie Strategist Kevin Goetz
Don’t Kill the Messenger dives deep into the careers of Hollywood’s most influential voices including executives and filmmakers alike. Hosted by entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, the interviews are more than story-sharing, they are intimate conversations between friends and a powerful filmmaking masterclass. Discover what it really takes to bring your favorite movies to life. Find Don’t Kill the Messenger on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. Learn how movies begin, and end—with the audience.
Host: Kevin Goetz
Producer: Kari Campano
Writers: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, Nick Nunez, & Kari Campano
Audio Engineer: Gary Forbes
Produced at DG Entertainment, Los Angeles CA
Marketing Team: Kari Campano, Dax Ross, Daniel Gamino, & Ashton Brackett
Guest Booking: Kari Campano & Kathy Manabat
Episodes
77 episodes
Stephen Follows (Film Industry Data Analyst) on Getting the Greenlight and Film Profitability
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes film industry analyst Stephen Follows for a discussion about film profitability and its connection to data. Stephen's digital book Greenlight Signals analy...
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Season 2025
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Episode 77
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56:38
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Troy and Mark Paul (Founders of SGG Media) on Rewriting Hollywood’s Marketing Playbook with Micro-Influencers and Studio Partnerships
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz explores the intersection of social media and film marketing with Troy and Mark Paul, the son and father duo behind SGG Media. Their innovative agency represents over 2,300 ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 76
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49:59
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Stacey Sher (Acclaimed Producer) on Pulp Fiction, Jersey Films, and Movies That Changed the Culture
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with two-time Academy Award-nominated producer Stacey Sher, the creative force behind some of Hollywood's most unconventional and influential films. From executive...
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Season 2025
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Episode 75
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46:52
Dick Cook (Powerhouse Hollywood Executive & Former Studio Chief) on His Journey from Disney Ride Operator to Running Walt Disney Studios
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Dick Cook, the former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios known as "the filmmaker's Chairman." From his humble start as a Disneyland train operator to running one...
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Season 2025
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Episode 74
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46:40
Basil Iwanyk (Acclaimed Producer & Former Studio Exec) on Jersey Grit, Building Thunder Road Films, and Mastering Independent Producing at Scale
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Thunder Road Films founder Basil Iwanyk, the producer behind some of the most engaging films of the last two decades. From The Town and Sicario
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Season 2025
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Episode 73
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54:19
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Donald Petrie (Veteran Movie and Television Director) on Comedy Directing, Family Legacy, & the Power of Audience Testing
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes director Donald Petrie, the American Film Institute Fellow whose romantic comedies have grossed hundreds of millions worldwide. From launching Julia Roberts in Mystic Pi...
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Season 2025
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Episode 72
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45:53
Special Episode: The Art of Audience Test Screening Focus Groups in the Filmmaking Process
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz brings together three of his top focus group moderators from Screen Engine to reveal the secrets behind their craft during the filmmaking stage of movie testing. Terri Cavanaugh (VP ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 71
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53:48
Michael Uslan (Originator & Executive Producer of the Batman movie franchise) on his role as Batman’s Batman and his journey
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Michael Uslan, the originator and executive producer of the Batman and Batman-related movie universe, who turned his childhood passion for comic books into Hollywood g...
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Season 2025
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Episode 70
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53:14
Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer) on Making Blockbusters, Audience Testing, and 50+ Years in Hollywood
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the mastermind behind billion-dollar blockbusters, including Top Gun, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys, Beverly Hi...
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Season 2025
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Episode 69
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43:22
Arnold Rifkin (Legendary Agent & Producer) on Hollywood Deal-Making and His Life-Changing Relationship with Bruce Willis
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Arnold Rifkin, the legendary talent agent who pioneered the concept of a total talent agency and helped build one of Hollywood's most recognizable action stars. From f...
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Season 2025
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Episode 68
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45:36
Scott Ross (Visual Effects Pioneer, Producer, and Entrepreneur) on Creating Movie Magic and the Future of Hollywood Effects
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Scott Ross, a pioneering figure in the visual effects industry. As the former general manager of Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), Senior VP of LucasArts Entertainment, an...
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Season 2025
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Episode 67
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49:27
Mike Marcus (Manager, Producer, & Former Studio Head) on Building Hollywood Networks and Creating Hit Films
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Mike Marcus, whose impressive 57-year career spans from agency mailroom to MGM Pictures president to management company founder. In his early career as an agent, ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 66
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43:42
Tony Sella (Marketing Executive and Producer) on Creating Unforgettable Movie Campaigns
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Tony Sella, the legendary marketing executive behind some of Hollywood's most iconic movie campaigns. During his decades at 20th Century Fox, Sella was the creative force ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 65
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48:39
Shane Black (Writer, Director) on Redefining Action Movies and Embracing Authenticity
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews Shane Black, one of Hollywood's highest-paid screenwriters, who redefined action films with witty dialogue, dark humor, and unforgettable characters. From Lethal Weapo...
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Season 2025
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Episode 64
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55:50
Mike Medavoy (Legendary Agent, Producer, & Studio Executive) on an Extraordinary Hollywood Journey
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes an industry titan-- film producer and studio executive Mike Medavoy. With a career spanning over five decades, Medavoy has been closely involved with over 300 feature films,...
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Season 2025
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Episode 63
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40:23
Chris Landon (Writer, Director, Producer) on Growing Up in Hollywood & Creating "Feel-Good Horror"
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Chris Landon, the acclaimed writer, director, and producer known for films like Happy Death Day, Freaky, Disturbia, and most recently, H...
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Season 2025
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Episode 62
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50:26
David Permut (Oscar® & Emmy® Nominated Producer) on Movie Maps, Making Movies That Matter, and Discovering New Talent
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with acclaimed producer David Permut, the visionary behind films like Face/Off, Hacksaw Ridge (Academy Award nominee for Best Picture), Dragnet, ...
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Season 2025
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Episode 61
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46:47
Elizabeth Gabler (President of Sony 3000 Pictures) on the Art of Book-to-Screen Movie Magic
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Elizabeth Gabler, known for transforming literary works into cinematic successes. From her early days as an agent's assistant to becoming president of Fox 2000 and now...
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Season 2025
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Episode 60
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52:04
Brad Furman (Director/Producer/Writer) on his Journey from the Basketball Court to Film Sets
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz welcomes director and producer Brad Furman, known for films like The Lincoln Lawyer, The Infiltrator, Runner Runner, The Take, and City of Lies. The episode opens w...
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Season 2025
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Episode 59
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47:59
Catherine Paura (Veteran Entertainment Strategist) on Transforming Movie Marketing and Audience Research
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with his good friend, mentor, and colleague, Catherine Paura, a pioneering force in entertainment research who co-founded National Research Group (NRG) in 1977. As an accom...
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Season 2025
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Episode 58
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51:26
Brian Grazer (Oscar and Emmy-Winning Producer) on Curiosity, Creativity, and Human Connection
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews legendary producer Brian Grazer. As co-founder of Imagine Entertainment with Ron Howard, Grazer's films and television shows have earned 47 Oscar nominations and 242 Emmy ...
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Season 2024
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Episode 57
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44:07
David Friendly (Academy Award-Nominated Producer and Former Journalist) on His Journey from Newsweek to Hollywood Success
In this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz interviews David Friendly, whose remarkable career transition from journalism to film production led to an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture with Little Miss Sunshine
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Season 2024
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Episode 56
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55:09
Gary Lucchesi (Veteran Producer, Studio Executive, and Former Agent) on Working with Talent and Successful Filmmaking
In this episode of "Don't Kill the Messenger," host Kevin Goetz sits down with Gary Lucchesi, the acclaimed producer and former President of the Producer’s Guild of America. From his early days as a talent agent at William Morris to his tenure ...
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Season 2024
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Episode 55
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51:35
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George Folsey Jr. (Veteran Film Editor & Producer) on Film Editing and the Art of the "Fix"
(Interview recorded Aug 14, 2024 and released Nov 6, 2024. George Folsey Jr. died on December 29th, 2024 at the age of 85. Thank you, George, for all that you gave to this industry--you will be missed.)In this episode of "Don't Kill the...
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Season 2024
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Episode 54
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42:53
Susan Cartsonis (Veteran Producer & Former Studio Executive) on Filmmaking and Championing Women’s Stories
In this episode of "Don't Kill the Messenger," host Kevin Goetz sits down with Susan Cartsonis, a renowned producer and former studio executive known for championing women's stories in Hollywood. From 20th Century Fox to independent producing, ...
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Season 2024
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Episode 53
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56:48
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