By JOHN DEMPSEY
'Leatherheads' is headed to FX as part of a 15-picture deal with
Universal.
'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,' starring Brendan Fraser, is
headed to FX as part of a 15-picture deal with Universal.
In what NBC Universal calls "a groundbreaking deal," cabler FX will
pony up more than $100 million to buy 15 Universal theatrical movies,
the bulk of which are prebuys of titles to be released throughout the
year, including "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."
Frances Manfredi, executive VP and general sales manager of NBC U
Domestic TV Distribution, said FX made "a preemptive bid" as part of
its "aggressive film acquisitions strategy."
Chuck Saftler, exec veep of FX, said he has embarked on a forceful
movie strategy because fresh primetime theatricals are big draws in
the coveted 18-49 demo. Although FX finished 11th in total viewers
last year among ad-supported cable networks, it wound up fifth overall
in adults 18-49.
It's impossible to put a precise license fee on the Universal/FX deal
because the final number is directly tied to each picture's domestic
box office performance. FX will pay an average of 11% of the gross
U.S. revenue of the movies for a four-year license term, which takes
effect about 18 months after the pictures make their debut on HBO in
the exclusive pay TV window.
FX will allow Universal to sell a run or two of the titles to a
broadcast network within FX's four-year window. Universal has given FX
free video-on-demand rights to the movies for a portion of its license
term.
Other titles in the package include "Wanted," a thriller starring
Angelina Jolie as an assassin; "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," directed
by Guillermo Del Toro; "Death Race," with Jason Statham; Judd Apatow
comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"; "The Express," a biopic about the
first black athlete to win the Heisman Trophy; "Changeling," a drama
with Jolie helmed by Clint Eastwood; and "Leatherheads," directed by
and starring George Clooney; comedy "Baby Mama," starring Tina Fey,
and the Liv Tyler thriller "The Strangers."
The U pic package also includes a few titles already in theaters:
Focus Features' "In Bruges," Rogue Pictures' "Doomsday," "Eastern
Promises," "Jarhead" and "Definitely, Maybe."
"This deal is a tremendous vote of confidence in Universal Pictures,"
said U Pictures vice chairman Rick Finkelstein.
FX often schedules the premiere of a big-budget theatrical as lead-in
to the debut of the first episode of a new scripted original series on
the network. FX has a number of high-visibility primetime series
including "Nip/Tuck," "Rescue Me," "Damages," "Dirt" and "The Riches."
The Universal deal is just the latest in a series of prebuys of
theatricals by cable networks that has swept the industry in the last
three months. Earlier this year, the Turner networks bought a whole
slate of Warner Bros. movies, including "10,000 B.C.," the "Batman"
sequel "The Dark Knight," "Get Smart" and "Speed Racer." (Daily
Variety, Feb. 28)
USA has locked up "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"
and "Sex and the City: The Movie," among others, and FX earlier
engineered a five-picture prebuy from Columbia, highlighted by two
Judd Apatow movies: "Step Brothers," with Will Ferrell, and "Pineapple
Express."
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982965.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
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