In another indication of where the future of entertainment is headed in movie theaters, Reuters is reporting that Sony Pictures is developing plans for a new digital cinema unit that will focus on delivering live events to movie theater screens:

The new venture, dubbed the Hot Ticket, will launch in August with a presentation of the final staging of the music and dance extravaganza Delirium from Cirque du Soleil, which closed its worldwide tour in London in April.

In September, the final performance in the 12-year Broadway run of the hit musical Rent will be presented.

"Our mandate will be to identify the one-of-a-kind, and sold-out events that people around the country most want to see ... and present them to audiences everywhere," Sony distribution president Rory Bruer said in a statement.

Hot Ticket presentations will be shown in high-definition format for limited engagements only, starting out on roughly 400 to 500 screens in theaters across the country, with audiences paying roughly $20 a seat, Bruer said.

USA Today is featuring the full article on their web site, and you can click on the Read link below to read it in its entirety.

Being able to present such alternative programming is one of the great advantages of digital cinema, in addition to the damage-free and rock-solid image that it provides moviegoers.

I've never been to a Broadway show, and I would like the opportunity to see how the Broadway cast performed Rent. Is it a different experience than seeing it in person? Of course, but going to New York to see a Broadway musical isn't always an option, so this is a great opportunity.

The digital presentation of Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour: Digital 3D was a huge success, and it no doubt fueled interest in efforts to bring additional similar content to movie theaters. The article states that approximately 5,000 of the country's 39,000 screens are capable of presenting digital cinema movies and events, and with studios such as DreamWorks and Disney pushing for 3-D digital cinema, there are sure to be more in the upcoming months and years.