Setting Screens: Mark Cuban Making Waves In Movie Industry

Mark Cuban (l) With Tribeca Enterprises COO Jon Patricof

Mavericks Owner MARK CUBAN is “creating the same buzz in Hollywood as a movie industry player as his Mavericks are developing in the NBA,” according to a sports section Cover Story by USA TODAY’s David DuPree. The “most innovative move” by Cuban and business partner TODD WAGNER “is a new distribution system –- ‘day-and-date release,’” where films are launched via theaters, DVD and HD cable TV on the same day. Cuban and Wagner own two production companies, 2929 Productions and HDNet Films; two HDTV networks, HDNet and HDNet Movies; a distribution company, Magnolia Pictures; and Landmark Theatres. IndieWire’s EUGENE HERNANDEZ: “The fact that they own their own production companies, distribution company and theaters gives them a lot of clout.” Hernandez added Cuban’s “views are controversial or provocative because he has chosen to challenge the way things in this business have been run.” Cuban said running the Mavericks takes up about 30% of his time, and he added, “HDNet probably takes the most amount of my time and then the movies and the tech stuff I do. The Mavs pretty much run themselves” (USA TODAY, 5/16).