FX gets rights to '2012'

By Nellie Andreeva

On the eve of "2012's" blockbuster $225 million opening weekend, FX snapped up TV rights to Roland Emmerich's apocalyptic movie.

Appropriately, the Sony movie will make its debut on the basic cable network in the beginning of 2012.

In addition to "2012," FX has acquired another Sony film that opened at No. 1 this fall, the horror comedy "Zombieland," which will be available at the end of next year.

The license fee for both movies is said to be standard, about 12% of their domestic boxoffice.

If "2012" crosses the $200 million mark in North America, as expected after its big $65 million opening weekend, it could fetch as much as $24 million. For the Woody Harrelson starrer "Zombieland," which grossed $73 million domestically, the price tag is estimated to be $8 million-$9 million.

FX has been aggressive in pursuing blockbusters this year; "2012" and "Zombieland" add to the network's extensive collection of 2009 movies that debuted as No. 1, including "Star Trek," "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," "Monsters vs. Aliens," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "The Proposal."

Hit movies, especially big, special effects-heavy disaster flicks, have done well on FX, including the Emmerich-directed "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Independence Day."