2929 Entertainment

Type	Private
Founded	Dallas, Texas (2000)
Headquarters	Dallas, Texas
Key people	Todd Wagner, Co-Founder/CEO Mark Cuban, Co-Founder Kevin Parke, Executive Vice President
Industry	Motion pictures, Television
Products	2929 Productions, HDNet, Magnolia Pictures, Landmark Theaters, Truly Indie
Owner(s)	Mark Cuban Todd Wagner
Website	2929entertainment.com

2929 Entertainment is a media company with holdings in film and television production, film distribution, theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, television, and syndication. Billionaires Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban founded and currently own the privately held company. Wagner serves as its CEO, and Kevin Parke as its Executive Vice President.

Contents 1 History 2 Holdings 2.1 Film and Television Production 2.2 Film Distribution 2.3 Theatrical Exhibition 2.4 Home Entertainment 2.5 Television 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] History

In February 2004, 2929 owned the syndication rights to several television shows including Sex and the City, Star Search, and Hogan's Heroes. 2929 co-produced a newer version of Star Search which premiered in January 2003 on CBS. The original Star Search was on air between 1983 and 1988.

In January 2006, the company experimented by releasing Steven Soderbergh's Bubble simultaneously in its Landmark Theaters chain, on the company's HDNet Movies cable channel, and on DVD through its Magnolia Home Entertainment division. The move was controversial since most films are released through different distribution channels on a staggered schedule, giving each channel an exclusive release window. Exhibitors were especially timorous, as many feared that they would eventually lose their exclusive release windows for more mainstream films.

[edit] Holdings

[edit] Film and Television Production

The company produces films and television programs through two production companies: 2929 Productions and HDNet Films. 2929 Productions, headed by Marc Butan, makes movies with budgets of $10 to $40 million. HDNet Films produces lower budget movies that are shot in high definition. Notable films include:

• Star Search (2002 - 2929 Productions)
• The Life Before Her Eyes (2007 - 2929 Productions)
• Turistas (2006 - 2929 Productions)
• We Own the Night (2929 Productions)
• Black Christmas (2006 - 2929 Productions)
• Akeelah and the Bee (2006 - 2929 Productions)
• The Jacket (2005 - 2929 Productions)
• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005 - HDNet Films)
• Good Night, and Good Luck (2005 - 2929 Productions)
• Bubble (2006 - HDNet Films)

Cuban and Wagner also own a minority stake in Lions Gate Entertainment.

[edit] Film Distribution

2929 owns Magnolia Pictures, a film distribution company that places 2929's and other company's films in theaters. Besides 2929's pictures, Magnolia has also released:

• The Lost City (2006)
• The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
• Control Room (2004)
• Capturing the Friedmans (2003)

[edit] Theatrical Exhibition

On September 24, 2003, 2929 bought Landmark Theatre Corporation, which owns 58 theatres in 23 markets. The chain, which was founded by Kim Jorgensen in 1974, primarily shows independent and foreign films.

[edit] Home Entertainment

In November 2005 the company created Magnolia Home Entertainment to release its films over home video. It is run by Randy Wells, the former head of home entertainment for Miramax.

[edit] Television

2929 holds a significant interest in HDNet, which Cuban co-founded in 2001 as an all-high definition cable channel. HDNet Movies, a companion channel, shows movies in high definition.

[edit] See also

• Lions Gate Entertainment
• HDNet
• Landmark Theatres

[edit] External links

• 2929 Entertainment
• Magnolia Pictures