Yea, but the movie is in 2.35:1, which is the really wide aspect ratio. Widescreen tv is 1.78:1, which is what the show will probably be broadcast in when it airs in October. The new movie is widescreen, but it's even wider than what it would be shown in on tv. That's what I'm wondering about.

In regards to why they made the decision to put it in theaters, it's actually the other way around. Once they made the deal with TimeWarner/Turner, the people at Warner Brothers liked what they saw so much that they decided it would be a good idea to distribute a movie theatrically in advance of the actual show.