Jason Bateman’s ‘SmartLess’ Podcast Has Been ‘Life-Changing,’ but He Feels ‘Trapped’ in It

Jason Bateman is itching to return to full-time filmmaking — but his money-hungry wife won’t let him ditch his $100 million “SmartLess” podcast, sources exclusively tell In Touch. According to tipsters, the 55-year-old Ozark alum — and fellow co-hosts Sean Hayes and Will Arnett — recently inked a massive three-year deal to bring their popular chatfest to SiriusXM. Now, spies say Jason’s stubborn sweetie — Amanda Anka — wants him to keep the lucrative gig as his primary focus!

“Jason and Amanda are on the same page about one thing — the money this little podcast has generated in just a couple of years has been life-changing for them,” dishes an insider. The source confides the former Arrested Development star was shocked by the success of the show — but would much rather be directing and producing movie and TV projects.

“But ‘SmartLess’ is increasingly taking up more and more of his time, and fans want nothing more than to be entertained by these three guys together until they’re old men,” the insider explains. “It’s kind of baffling to Jason that the project that initially took the least amount of effort for him to get off the ground has been the most profitable thing he’s ever done. It’s a classic case of golden handcuffs. But this is not how Jason wants to spend the rest of his career.”

And the tipster confides the actor is now caught between a rock and a hard place! Adds the insider, “He really feels trapped, but there are worse things than being trapped under a money-printing factory!”