Summary

The Studio follows the employees of a fictional movie studio as it — and the industry — goes through massive changes.

The Studio cast reveals the characters in their iconic filmographies that would make the best studio heads.

The Studio cast discusses the recent movies they’ve seen that have made them fall in love with film all over again.

With a whopping 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Studio is one of the most hilarious shows to premiere in a long time. As its name suggests, the series follows a fictional movie studio and its employees as both it and the industry as a whole are going through a massive shift. There’s the new head of Continental Studios, Matt (Seth Rogen), who attempts to juggle his new role of making as much money for the studio as possible with his passion for arthouse cinema; his best friend Sal (Ike Barinholtz); his young assistant-turned-creative executive Quinn (Chase Sui Wonders); and perpetually trendy marketing guru Maya (Kathryn Hahn). Rounding out the ensemble is Patty (Catherine O’Hara), Matt’s mentor whose job he steals.
The main cast alone is stacked, but the show is also filled to the brim with incredible cameos, featuring everyone from legendary directors like Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard to A-listers like Charlize Theron and Zac Efron. While the series is a fast-paced, pitch-perfect satire, it also feels like a love letter to film and Hollywood as a whole. Tackling everyone from filming complicated oners to casting a movie in the least offensive, most inclusive way to wowing the world at CinemaCon, The Studio is a blast from start to finish.
Collider got the chance to speak to Rogen, Barinholtz, Wonders, Hahn, and O’Hara about the characters in their filmographies that would make the best studio heads, the wild fake titles in the show, the last movie to make them fall in love with film all over again, and more.
Catherine O’Hara Says Her ‘The Studio’ Character Is Like a “Betrayed Mother”

COLLIDER: Congratulations on this show. I feel like I haven’t laughed so hard since I watched Running Point, actually.
IKE BARINHOLTZ: I’ll handle this one.
SETH ROGEN: I don’t like that.
CHASE SUI WONDERS: That’s not a long time ago. Very recently.
BARINHOLTZ: A couple weeks ago!
ROGEN: Too recently.
Well, I want to know, what does it feel like to be part of two shows that are having such a positive reception at the same time like this?
BARINHOLTZ: I’m incredibly lucky. They’re totally different shows, but they both offer laughs and insight and stuff, so I hope people watch both. And The Studio because you guys paid me for this.
ROGEN: I don’t like this.
Sorry, conflict of interest. But yes, it’s a very funny show, but there are some real moments of real but tough love and mentorship in the form of Patty, especially. Catherine, I want to ask you — because I love the way you play her — is there anyone you feel like you’ve had in your life that has sort of taken on a similar mentorship role?
BARINHOLTZ: You can say me — it’s okay.
CATHERINE O’HARA: You taught me everything I know, and then I took your job. I guess I just drew on what was on paper. I didn’t want to really base it on anyone in particular, although I’m sure Seth and Evan [Goldberg] had somebody in mind — a few people in mind.
ROGEN: Yes.
O’HARA: There’s moments where I think I’m a betrayed mother whose child has let her down, and then there’s just a desperate, corporate entity who’s trying to get back on her feet. And I love the negotiating out of crying. The tearful negotiating.
ROGEN: That was a very early idea.
O’HARA: Was it?
ROGEN: [Nods] Crying and negotiating at the same time.
O’HARA: It’s really fun to play. It’s like, [pretending to cry] “I’m surviving right now.”
KATHRYN HAHN: It’s a good tactic.
ROGEN: How painful it would be to actually negotiate with someone like that.
O’HARA: And then try to tell you why you should not be on the set on the oner. “Literally everyone here just wants something from you. That’s the only reason anyone’s talking to you.” It’s so sad.
ROGEN: Very sad. Brutal.
O’HARA: I would know.
‘The Studio’ Cast Shares Which Character in Their Filmography Would Make the Best Studio Head

Image via Apple TV+

I mean, you all have had such amazing careers. Chase, I know you’re a little newer to the game, but I have to say, I’ve been watching you since the Generation days.
WONDERS: Oh, shoot!
BARINHOLTZ: OG.
WONDERS: Early days.
I was so excited to see you in this, but a question for all of you: Of the iconic characters you all have played, who do you think would make the best studio head?
BARINHOLTZ: Oh, man. That’s a good question.
WONDERS: Seth would make a pretty good studio head.
ROGEN: I’ve played a studio head, so probably my character of Matt. No one else. Steve Wozniak would make a good studio head.
BARINHOLTZ: Yes, he would.
ROGEN: He’s a smart guy.
BARINHOLTZ: I’ll say Morgan from The Mindy Project because he would just do a lot of dog-friendly programming. He likes dogs, and dog movies usually do well.
ROGEN: Dog movies kill.
BARINHOLTZ: They kill. It would be Marley and Me every week.
O’HARA: I would say Cookie from Best in Show because a lot of people would owe her.
HAHN: I think maybe Agatha just because she would put a spell on everybody.
O’HARA: That’s cheating!
HAHN: I know, but it’s real, so would it be cheating?
O’HARA: If it’s real? No. No, I stand corrected.
ROGEN: Real magic.
HAHN: It’s real magic, but so is Hollywood.
O’HARA: It’s scary. It’s scary to name a character.
WONDERS: None of my characters have had a career. This is the first time I’ve had a job that isn’t like—
ROGEN: I thought you were gonna say, “None of my characters have had names.”
BARINHOLTZ: I guess Girl #2 at Party?
WONDERS: Partygoer #17.
I think she’d be great, but I agree with you, Kathryn, that Agatha Harkness would be quite good at Maya’s job, honestly. But I’m curious if you think that Maya would survive the Witches’ Road.
HAHN: Oh, for sure.
BARINHOLTZ: Yes.
ROGEN: She’s surviving a nuclear war.
HAHN: Yes, she would.
BARINHOLTZ: Maya will be the last human alive.
HAHN: Oh, for sure. A roach just coming up from the ashes.
‘The Studio’ Cast Reveals Their Favorite Fake Movies From the Show

Image via Apple TV+

I love it. Another question for everybody: I love all of the fake movies in this show, so I’m curious which in-universe movie you would be most interested in watching.
WONDERS: The Sarah Polley movie would be good.
ROGEN: The Silver Lake?
WONDERS: Yeah.
BARINHOLTZ: I would have to say Duhpocalypse. I’m seeing it opening weekend for sure.
WONDERS: Zombie dookie.
ROGEN: Zombie poop.
HAHN: Zombie dookie.
ROGEN: As we were shooting Duhpocalypse, there was a moment where me and Evan looked at each other and were like, “We should be doing this. This is much more suited to our skill set than the actual thing we’re making all day, every day.” That’s when we really came alive — when we were shooting projectile diarrhea with Josh Hutcherson. We were really in our element those days.
‘The Studio’ Cast Discusses Recent Movies That Made Them Fall in Love With Film Again

Image via Apple TV+

I loved it so much. I think the show is so fun because it is obviously a satire, but it is really a love letter to movies in ways, too. I’m curious, for you, what’s the last movie you’ve seen that sort of made you fall in love with movies all over again?
O’HARA: I’m Still Here.
BARINHOLTZ: Pootie Tang. [Laughs] I really did love Anora. I love the fact that it’s a real screwball comedy, and it felt like a Cassavetes movie but just much, much funnier.
ROGEN: It destigmatized your use of prostitutes.
BARINHOLTZ: I just wanna say, all the sex workers are getting shouted out at the Oscars, but the people who pay them don’t? Um, okay, Hollywood.
ROGEN: Hello? A patron of the arts.
BARINHOLTZ: Whatever. No, but I like that a lot.
ROGEN: The Substance was amazing.
HAHN: The Substance was amazing!
WONDERS: The Substance was really good! My Old Ass was really good.
ROGEN: I loved My Old Ass.
BARINHOLTZ: Don’t talk about me that way.
O’HARA: Doesn’t it get you at the end?
WONDERS: I cried so hard. I cried like a baby.
O’HARA: Yes! What is it about that movie that you go, “Okay, yeah,” and then [blubbers]?
ROGEN: One of Them Days was really good.
BARINHOLTZ: I was also a big Conclave boy.
ROGEN: You are a Conclave boy.
BARINHOLTZ: I’ve always been a Conclave boy, but that scene when you see the mean cardinal vaping, I was like, “This movie is awesome.”
O’HARA: I loved A Complete Unknown.
HAHN: Oh, yeah.
ROGEN: That one was amazing. We love the movies.
EVERYONE: We love the movies!
HAHN: I did see Nosfertatu—
WONDERS: Nosfertatu.
HAHN: [Laughs at mispronunciation] Nosfertatu with my son, which was a bad idea.
O’HARA: Two scoops of the Nosfertatu.
HAHN: Nosfertatu on Ice.
ROGEN: Potato totter.
O’HARA: It’s pretty wild. He doesn’t want to show his face, does he?
HAHN: No.
O’HARA. No, wow.
ROGEN: Bill Skarsgard — always obscured.
HAHN: Rough movie to see with my son. It was not the best call.
ROGEN: There’s a lot of orgasms.
HAHN: Yes, yes.
ROGEN: Too much coming.
New episodes of The Studio premiere on Apple TV+ every Wednesday.

The Studio

Release Date

March 25, 2025

Network

Apple TV+

Watch on Apple TV+