All a pre/pro or receiver is doing when it sets a distance to the sub as 17 ft or something, is correctly adjusting phase, and hopefully the time alignment as well. (You *can* have a sub in phase but out of time aligment with the mains.) There's nothing magical about it in that you can also do...
I would think that a movie soundtrack mixer/producer/engineer is as serious and tries to be as good at it and as professional about it as a mixer/producer/engineer for a CD or lp or SACD or DVD-A...