USA Net going on pic-buying binge

Scrambles to offset "Raw" wrestling loss

By JOHN DEMPSEY

NEW YORK -- The USA Network, facing the loss in two months of the high-rated Monday-night wrestling extravaganza "Raw Is War," continues to beef up its movie library, buying the first network window to USA Films' "Pitch Black," Artisan's "Ninth Gate," Lions Gate's "American Psycho" and the forthcoming "Friday After Next," another New Line sequel to "Friday."

In addition to these titles, USA announced that it has bought the exclusive first network window to "U-571," "The Flintstones in Viva Las Vegas" and three other Universal titles, plus 23 more library pictures from Universal in a post-network window (Daily Variety, June 27).

Most of the first-window pics will get to USA between June and December 2002; the 23 library titles won't become available until 2004.

As part of the "U-571" deal, USA also picks up the exclusive cable rights to two Universal theatrical sequels that will steer clear of the multiplexes, instead premiering in homevideo: "Beethoven's 3rd" and "Tremors 3." USA reels in both titles six months after their homevideo window, "Beethoven's 3rd" in March 2001 and "Tremors 3" in April 2002.

USA has also bought four movies from Nu Image, the distributor of low-budget thrillers: "Crocodile," "Spiders," "Octopus" and "Shark Attack 2."

USA paid about $5.5 million for a four-year license term on "Pitch Black," about $2.3 million for "Ninth Gate" and about $2 million for "American Psycho."

Because of their content, "Pitch Black" and "Ninth Gate" will shift between USA and sister network the Sci Fi Channel throughout the license term, as will many of the other titles bought recently by USA.