DirecTV Belts Out April 3D Offerings

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 3/2/2011

El Segundo, Ca. - DirecTV will further expand its 3D programming options this spring with an exclusive, U.S. 3D broadcast of the full-length opera Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia, and several Hollywood movies, all on the DirecTV Cinema platform.

The opera, which was directed by British filmmaker Mike Figgis, tells the tale of murder, torture and incest as it follows one of history's first crime families.

It will be performed by the English National Opera (ENO), and stars soprano Claire Rutter, American tenor Michael Fabiano and will be conducted by Paul Daniel.

Interwoven throughout the opera's interludes will be a series of short films, directed by Figgis, which present the back story of Lucrezia and the Borgia family, behind-the-scenes interviews with Figgis and the cast, as well as Donzetti's original score.

The 3D production of Lucrezia Borgia, a collaboration between Sky Arts and ENO, was filmed live on Feb. 23, 2011 at the London Coliseum and will be available on DirecTV Cinema (Ch. 104) beginning in April.

The new 3D Hollywood movies, meanwhile, include "Piranha 3D," "Jackass 3D" (March 8), "Tangled 3D" (March 29), and "Tron: Legacy 3D" (April 5), for $6.99 each.