FX buys four-year license to 15 Universal films

FX will pay more than $100 million to complement its line-up of successful drama shows—which includes Rescue Me, The Riches and Nip/Tuck—with 15 Universal theatrical releases. With this deal, FX will pay Universal an average of 11% of the movies' gross U.S. revenue for a four-year license term. The deal includes unreleased titles Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Revenge of the Mummy and Leatherheads, as well as already-premiered titles such as In Bruges, Jarhead and Eastern Promises.

FX's purchase follows a growing trend between television stations and film-production companies. Earlier this year, the Turner networks (TBS and TNT) pre-bought a whole slate of Warner Bros. movies, including 10,000 B.C., The Dark Knight and Speed Racer, while USA Network acquired rights for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.