Will Bubble Burst Hollywood Dogma?
The coming film will be released at once in
theaters, on DVD, and on cable. This approach may be just what the industry
needs to get back on track
The revolution starts Friday.
So say director Steven Soderbergh and producer Todd Wagner, who have teamed to change the way new films are distributed with the near-simultaneous release of the psychological murder mystery “Bubble” in theaters and on premium cable TV Friday [HDNet] and at your local DVD store on Jan. 31.
For the film industry, Soderbergh’s “Bubble” is more than exciting - it’s the equivalent of an earthquake striking a business that hasn’t changed since TV arrived in the late 1940s.
Soderbergh, the Oscar-winning “Traffic” director whose hits include “Erin Brockovich” and the “Ocean’s 11” franchise, has given a touch of class and legitimacy to Wagner’s brainchild. Soderbergh plans to make no fewer than six movies on this model, all filmed on digital video, all with nonprofessional actors, such as the $1.6 million “Bubble.”
Give credit to Mark Cuban, as well. From financing the Grokster defense to his comments on greedy thugs, whether the RIAA or Enron, he doesn’t mind putting his money where his mind is.
Posted: Tue - January 24, 2006 at 11:38 AM