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2929 Entertainment

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2929 Entertainment, LLC
TypePrivate
IndustryMovies, television, home entertainment, home video, movie theaters
Founded2002; 20 years ago (2002)
FounderTodd Wagner
Mark Cuban
Headquarters
Key people
Todd Wagner (CEO)
Mark Cuban (Co-Founder)
Schuyler Hansen, Managing Director
Divisions2929 Productions
Magnolia Pictures
Spotlight Cinema Networks
Truly Indie
AXS TV (co-owner)
Rysher Entertainment
HDNet Films
HDNet Movies
Landmark Theatres (sold to Cohen Media Group in 2018)
Website2929entertainment.com

2929 Entertainment, LLC. is an American integrated media and entertainment company co-founded by billionaire entrepreneurs Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. 2929 maintains companies and interests across several industries including entertainment development and packaging, film and television production and distribution, digital and broadcast syndication, theatrical exhibition, and home entertainment.

2929 Entertainment has offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Dallas. Wagner and Cuban co-own 2929 with Sky Hansen serving as Managing Director.

History

2929 Entertainment made several strategic acquisitions to assure that releases could be made available to any audience across a variety of platforms simultaneously. Wagner says that "ready availability of such infrastructure would be an operating advantage to both the circuit and the production company."[1] Some titles would even see DVD releases alongside theatrical openings as early as 2007, through an early partnership with Netflix.[2]

An extensive catalogue of television and film rights were acquired with Rysher Entertainment in 2001, and 2929 would co-produce a newer version of Star Search which premiered in January 2003 on CBS (the original Star Search aired from 1983 to 1995).

Variety praised 2929 as a "pioneer" for its simultaneous theatrical and cable television release of Steven Soderbergh's Bubble in 2006.[2] Bubble was the first of several films with concurrent releases in theaters and through 2929's cable channel HDNet. At the time, this move was controversial as most films are released in different formats on a staggered schedule, giving each channel an exclusive window. Exhibitors were especially timorous, as many feared that they would eventually lose their exclusive release windows for more mainstream films.

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Rysher Entertainment

Rysher Entertainment

Rysher Entertainment, Inc. was an American film and television production company and distributor. It was best known for the sitcom Hogan's Heroes and the medical drama Ben Casey. In 1993, Rysher was acquired by Cox Enterprises, and was closed six years later in 1999.

Star Search

Star Search

Star Search is an American television show that was produced by T.P.E./Rysher Entertainment from 1983 to 1995, hosted by Ed McMahon, and created by Al Masini. A relaunch was produced by 2929 Productions from 2003 to 2004. On both versions of the show, contestants competed in several genres of entertainment. The show was originally filmed at the Earl Carroll Theatre at 6230 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood and later at the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida.

CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainment Group division of Paramount Global.

Variety (magazine)

Variety (magazine)

Variety is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added Daily Variety, based in Los Angeles, to cover the motion-picture industry. Variety.com features entertainment news, reviews, box office results, cover stories, videos, photo galleries and features, plus a credits database, production charts and calendar, with archive content dating back to 1905.

Steven Soderbergh

Steven Soderbergh

Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker.

Bubble (2005 film)

Bubble (2005 film)

Bubble is a 2005 American drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh about three low-paid doll factory workers, one of whom is murdered. Soderbergh also shot and edited the film under the pseudonyms Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard, taken from his father's given names and his mother's maiden name, respectively. The film was shot on high-definition video.

Operations

Production companies

2929 Entertainment develops original feature and series through its production company 2929 Productions, and formerly through HDNet Films.

2929 Productions, LLC

The company's main logo.
The company's main logo.

2929 Productions, LLC. was co-founded by Wagner and Cuban in 2002. The film and television studio selectively finances and develops feature films and series, often through partnerships with industry creators or entertainment companies.[3]

2929 Productions is headed by Haley Jones.[4] Previous studio leadership has included Ben Cosgrove (formerly of Paramount and Section Eight)[5] and Marc Butan (MadRiver Pictures and formerly Lionsgate).

Godsend, Criminal and The Jacket were among of the studio's first projects, with the latter two being co-produced and co-financed with Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney's Section Eight Productions. After his work on Godsend, Marc Butan was offered studio head at 2929 leading him to exit an EVP role at Lionsgate.[6]

In 2005, 2929 Productions released Good Night, And Good Luck. with Warner Independent. The film uses a mix of archival footage and contemporary production to tell the story of the famed wartime reporter Edward Murrow (David Strathairn) and his historic "See it Now" broadcast criticizing Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare. To mitigate risks that could arise with a black-and-white feature film, Wagner engaged Jeff Skoll and his company Participant Media to produce Good Night, And Good Luck, which grossed over $30 million (USA) and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

2929 Productions
Year Film Director Release date
2002 Searching for Debra Winger Rosanna Arquette July 13, 2002
2004 Godsend Nick Hamm April 30, 2004
Criminal Gregory Jacobs September 10, 2004
2005 The Jacket John Maybury January 23, 2005 (Sundance)/March 4, 2005
Good Night, and Good Luck George Clooney September 1, 2005 (VIFF)/October 7, 2005 (United States)
2006 Akeelah and the Bee Doug Atchison March 16, 2006 (CIFF)/April 28, 2006 (United States)
Turistas John Stockwell December 1, 2006
Black Christmas Glen Morgan December 15, 2006 (United Kingdom)/December 19, 2006 (TCL Chinese Theatre)/December 25, 2006 (United States)
2007 The Ex Jesse Peretz May 11, 2007
We Own the Night James Gray May 25, 2007 (Cannes)/October 12, 2007 (United States)
2008 The Life Before Her Eyes Vadim Perelman September 8, 2007 (TIFF)/April 18, 2008
What Just Happened Barry Levinson January 19, 2008 (Sundance)/May 25, 2008 (Cannes)/October 17, 2008 (United States)
2009 Two Lovers James Gray May 19, 2008 (Cannes Film Festival)/February 13, 2009 (United States)
The Girlfriend Experience Steven Soderbergh January 20, 2009 (Sundance)/May 22, 2009 (United States)
The Burning Plain Guillermo Arriaga August 29, 2008 (Venice International Film Festival)/September 18, 2009 (United States)
The Road John Hillcoat September 3, 2009 (VIFF)/September 13, 2009 (TIFF)/November 25, 2009 (United States)
2012 Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim January 20, 2012 (Sundance Film Festival)/March 2, 2012 (United States)
Deadfall Stefan Ruzowitzky April 22, 2012 (Tribeca Film Festival)/December 7, 2012 (United States)
2015 Serena Susanne Bier October 13, 2014 (BFI London Film Festival)/November 12, 2014 (France)/March 27, 2015 (United States)
2017 2:22 Paul Currie June 30, 2017
Permanent Colette Burson September 30, 2017 (Edmonton)
2018 Please Stand By Ben Lewin October 27, 2017 (Austin)/January 26, 2018 (United States)
The China Hustle Jed Rothstein March 20, 2018

HDNet Films

HDNet Films produced lower budget movies in high definition.

HDNet Films
Year Film Director Release date
2005 Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Alex Gibney April 22, 2005
The War Within Joseph Castelo September 30, 2005
2006 Bubble Steven Soderbergh September 3, 2005 (Venice Film Festival)/January 27, 2006 (United States)
S&Man J. T. Petty March 10, 2006 (SXSW Film Festival)
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities Doug Biro & Jon Fine April 4, 2006
One Last Thing... Alex Steyermark September 12, 2005 (TIFF)/May 5, 2006 (United States)
The Architect Matt Tauber April 26, 2006
2007 Diggers Katherine Dieckmann March 30, 2007 (USA)
Fay Grim Hal Hartley September 11, 2006 (TIFF)/May 18, 2007 (United States)
Broken English Zoe Cassavetes January 20, 2007 (Sundance)/June 22, 2007 (United States)
Mr. Untouchable Marc Levin October 26, 2007
Redacted Brian De Palma August 31, 2007 (Venice Film Festival)/November 16, 2007 (United States)
2008 Surfwise Doug Pray September 11, 2007 (TIFF)/May 9, 2008 (USA)
Quid Pro Quo Carlos Brooks June 13, 2008
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Alex Gibney January 20, 2008 (Sundance)
2009 American Swing Jon Hart & Mathew Kaufman September 5, 2008 (TIFF)/March 27, 2009 (USA)
2010 And Everything Is Going Fine Steven Soderbergh January 23, 2010 (Slamdance)
2011 Rejoice and Shout (Documentary) Don McGlynn June 3, 2011

Distribution

Originally formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, Magnolia Pictures is the home entertainment and theatrical distribution subsidiary of 2929. In November 2005 the company created Magnolia Home Entertainment to release its films over home video, with its first release being Alex Gibney's acclaimed doc, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.[7] It is headed by entertainment industry vet and former head of home entertainment for Miramax, Randy Wells. Magnolia Pictures also provides its content through a curated streaming service, Magnolia Selects.

2929 also launched Truly Indie, an "innovative distribution program" for independent filmmakers.

Television

2929 holds a significant interest in AXS TV, which Cuban originally co-founded in 2001 as the all-high definition cable channel HDNet (through AXS TV LLC, formerly HDNet, LLC). HDNet Movies, a companion channel, shows movies in high definition. 2929 also owned Rysher Entertainment, a television syndication distributor with an extensive library of titles and syndication rights to TV shows like Hogan's Heroes, Sex and the City and Star Search.[6] Rysher was later acquired by an investment company through Lakeshore Entertainment.

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Production company

Production company

A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and video. These groups consist of technical staff to produce the media, and are often incorporated as a commercial publisher. Generally the term refers to all individuals responsible for the technical aspects of creating a particular product, regardless of where in the process their expertise is required, or how long they are involved in the project. For example, in a theatrical performance, the production team has not only the running crew, but also the theatrical producer, designers and theatrical direction.

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production and distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global. It is the fifth-oldest film studio in the world, the second-oldest film studio in the United States, and the sole member of the "Big Five" film studios located within the city limits of Los Angeles.

Marc Butan

Marc Butan

Marc Butan is an American film producer and CEO at MadRiver Pictures, a Santa Monica, California-based motion picture production company.

Godsend (2004 film)

Godsend (2004 film)

Godsend is a 2004 psychological horror thriller film starring Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn, and Robert De Niro, and directed by Nick Hamm from a screenplay by Mark Bomback. It follows a couple who are approached by an enigmatic doctor who offers to clone their deceased son. It received generally negative reviews from critics.

Criminal (2004 film)

Criminal (2004 film)

Criminal is a 2004 American crime drama film co-written and directed by Gregory Jacobs and a remake of the Argentine film Nine Queens (2000). It stars John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Maeve Quinlan. The film is a production of Section Eight, the production company of Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney.

George Clooney

George Clooney

George Timothy Clooney is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Academy Awards; one for his acting and the other as a producer. He has been honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2015, the Honorary César in 2017, AFI Life Achievement Award in 2018, and the Kennedy Center Honors in 2022.

Good Night, and Good Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck is a 2005 historical drama film about American television news directed by George Clooney, with the movie starring David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella as well as Clooney himself. The film was co-written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, and it portrays the conflict between veteran journalist Edward R. Murrow (Strathairn) and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, especially relating to the anti-communist Senator's actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.

Edward R. Murrow

Edward R. Murrow

Edward Roscoe Murrow was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe for the news division of CBS. During the war he recruited and worked closely with a team of war correspondents who came to be known as the Murrow Boys.

David Strathairn

David Strathairn

David Russell Strathairn is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has often portrayed historical figures such as Edward R. Murrow, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William H. Seward, and John Dos Passos. He has received various accolades including an Independent Spirit Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Volpi Cup, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Joseph McCarthy

Joseph McCarthy

Joseph Raymond McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public face of a period in the United States in which Cold War tensions fueled fears of widespread communist subversion. He is known for alleging that numerous communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers had infiltrated the United States federal government, universities, film industry, and elsewhere. Ultimately, he was censured for refusing to cooperate with, and abusing members of, the committee established to investigate whether or not he should be censured. The term "McCarthyism", coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist activities. Today, the term is used more broadly to mean demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents.

Red Scare

Red Scare

A Red Scare is the promotion of a widespread fear of a potential rise of communism, socialism, anarchism or other leftist ideologies by a society or state. The term is most often used to refer to two periods in the history of the United States which are referred to by this name. The First Red Scare, which occurred immediately after World War I, revolved around a perceived threat from the American labor movement, anarchist revolution, and political radicalism. The Second Red Scare, which occurred immediately after World War II, was preoccupied with the perception that national or foreign communists were infiltrating or subverting American society and the federal government. The name refers to the red flag as a common symbol of communism.

Jeffrey Skoll

Jeffrey Skoll

Jeffrey Stuart Skoll, OC is a Canadian engineer, billionaire internet entrepreneur and film producer. He was the first president of eBay, eventually using the wealth this gave him to become a philanthropist, particularly through the Skoll Foundation, and his media company Participant Media. He founded an investment firm, Capricorn Investment Group, soon after and currently serves as its chairman. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he graduated from University of Toronto in 1987 and left Canada to attend Stanford University's business school in 1993.

Former operations

Theatrical exhibition

2929 acquired Landmark Theatres September 24, 2003. The chain was originally founded by Kim Jorgensen in 1974 and specialized in independent and foreign films.[8] On December 4, 2018 the announcement was made that Landmark Theatres was sold to the Cohen Media Group, "a buyer who is passionate about independent cinema and who truly understands this market."[9]

2929 maintains an interest in Spotlight Cinema Networks, a cinema advertising company.

Source: "2929 Entertainment", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, December 16th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2929_Entertainment.

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References
  1. ^ DiOrio, Carl (2003-09-24). "Wagner, Cuban buy Landmark circuit". Variety. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  2. ^ a b Mohr, Ian (2007-04-06). "Independent windows shrinking". Variety. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
  3. ^ "About Us - 2929 Entertainment - 2929 Productions". Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  4. ^ "Haley Jones | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  5. ^ Gardner, Chris; McClintock, Pamela (2006-02-10). "Par plucks Cosgrove". Variety. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
  6. ^ a b Fleming, Michael (2004-02-17). "Butan new bigwig at 2929 Prods". Variety. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  7. ^ Brooks, Brian (2005-11-05). "Magnolia Pictures Launches Home Entertainment Division". IndieWire. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  8. ^ "Mark Cuban's Landmark Theatres Hit With Antitrust Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  9. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2018-12-04). "Cohen Media Group Acquires Landmark Theatres From Wagner/Cuban Companies". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-01-09.
External links

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