Mark Cuban Brings the Movie Theater Home

[Gregg Lengling]

His High-Definition TV network will air a documentary on the Enron scandal the same day it premieres in the movie theaters.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 13) -- This spring, HDNet Movies will air Alex Gibney's documentary, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, the same day it premieres in movie theaters. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who co-founded HDNet Movies, says it will be the first of many such "same day" premieres on the High-Definition TV network.

"The goal is to reward HDNet Movies subscribers with great movies. Our feeling is that people who want to get out of the house and go to the theater will do so. Those who can't make it, rather than missing the water cooler talk on Monday, will be able to see the film on HDNet Movies," Cuban says.

The Enron documentary, which chronicles the accounting scandal that befell the energy giant, was financed and produced by HDNet Studios, owned by Cuban and business partner Todd Wagner.

Cuban says a premiere date for Enron has not been set, but it's expected in the spring. The documentary will air twice on the premiere date, once at 8 p.m. ET and again at 11 p.m. ET. (While it's still playing in the theaters, HDNet Movies will broadcast the film again on other dates.)

Cuban says all films produced by HDNet Studios will debut the same day in the theaters and on HDNet Movies. He adds that Magnolia Pictures, a division of Cuban-Wagner's 2929 Entertainment, plans to purchase other films that will get similar treatment.

"We expect to have at least 8 to 12 (same day releases) per year," Cuban said.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room was presented at last month's Sundance Film Festival. The documentary, which was based on a best-selling book by Fortune Magazine reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, uses internal company documents and tapes to illustrate how Enron's top executives pocketed more than $1 billion while shareholders and employees lost everything. -30-

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Phillip Swann, president of TVPredictions.com, has been quoted on TV technology in dozens of publications and by broadcast outlets, such as The Chicago Tribune, The Hollywood Reporter, Fox News and CNN. If you would like to contact Mr. Swann, he can be reached at 703-505-3064 or at swann@tvpredictions.com