The Studio season 1 episode 9 ending explained: What happens to Griffin Mill in the end?
The Studio season 1 episode 9, titled CinemaCon, premiered on AppleTV+ on May 14, 2025. Alex Gregory wrote the episode, directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. It focuses on Matt and his team getting ready for the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas.
Their trip takes an unexpected turn after they learn that Amazon is in talks to purchase Continental Studios and the convention is their only hope of saving the studio. However, its CEO, Griffin Mill, gets stoned hours before his important presentation at the CinemaCon, which can potentially jeopardize the studio's future.
The story will continue to unfold in the next episode, which is also the season finale, set to air on May 21, 2025.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for The Studio season 1 episode 9.
Matt faces a crisis in The Studio season 1 episode 9
In The Studio season 1 episode 9, Matt heads to Las Vegas for the annual CinemaCon convention to showcase his studio's slate of films to movie theater owners. He buys chocolates laced with mushrooms from Dave Franco's dealer, Gemma, for the trip, where he is joined by Sal, Maya, Quinn, and Patty.
Continental Studios plans to present prestige films like The Silver Lake, Alphabet City and tentpoles like Kool-Aid: The Movie and Blackwing at the CinemaCon. Matt tells Patty that he feels optimistic the coming year will be the studio's biggest year so far.
During rehearsal, the studio's CEO, Griffin Mill, tells Matt that Amazon plans to buy Continental Studios, which could end its 100-year legacy. If the deal goes through, the studio will be overhauled and Matt’s team could lose their jobs. Matt realizes he must make a big impact at CinemaCon to save the studio.
Maya reminds everyone that the presentation is scheduled for 7:30 am the next morning. Dave Franco will start the presentation with the trailer of Alphabet City, Zöe Kravitz will drum up excitement for Blackwing. Patty will highlight The Silver Lake and Nick Stoller will promote Kool-Aid: The Movie. Matt will speak about the studio and Griffin will close out the presentation.
However, Griffin spends the entire night getting high on drugs and alcohol. The CEO is extremely stoned and in no state to speak in front of people, a few hours before the presentation. After he insults Patty, she calls the entertainment journalist Matt Belloni and tips him off about Griffin's intoxicated state to ruin his reputation.
Matt hosts a wild party in The Studio season 1 episode 9
The night before the presentation, Matt hosts a party in his hotel room that goes on till the wee hours of the morning. Matt, Quinn, Maya, and Sal get high on the shroom chocolates. When they notice Griffin acting wild with Dave Franco, Matt asks his boss to ease off on the hard drugs.
Matt tells his team that Amazon is looking to buy the studio, leading to some hilarious reactions from his stoned friends. He adds that making a great presentation at CinemaCon is the only way to ensure the studio's future. For that, they need Griffin to be sober and bring his A-game to the presentation, which will start in the next four hours.
Matt decides to shut down the entire party and send everyone home as he cannot bring himself to tell Griffin directly to leave and get some rest. However, he changes his mind after Zöe Kravitz shows up at the party. When Dave offers her a drink, she turns him down because of the upcoming presentation.
But she accidentally gets high on mushrooms after eating three chocolates, unaware that they were laced with drugs. Each piece of chocolate contains seven grams of shrooms, and not a quarter of a gram, as Matt had mistakenly thought. Since Zöe consumed 21 grams worth of mushrooms, Matt and Sal set her up in a hotel room to let her ride the wave.
Quinn, Maya, and Patty join the duo in searching for Griffin, who leaves the party and wanders off in the hotel's casino. At one point, he is seen betting a large lobster at the card table. The team debates whether to allow him to present, while Griffin takes off in a gondola.
Viewers can stream The Studio season 1 episode 9 exclusively on Apple TV+.
