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USA Network Revs Up for a Groundbreaking Project With Pontiac and General Motors

Dennis Hopper, Will Patton, Chris Carmack and Fred Ward Set to Star

'Fast and Furious' Director Rob Cohen to Executive Produce Turbo-Charged USA Original

LOS ANGELES, March 9 -- USA Network announced today that pre- production is underway on "The Last Ride," a two-hour original film that represents an unprecedented integrated marketing opportunity for USA Network and Pontiac, a division of General Motors.

"The Last Ride" is executive produced by Rob Cohen ("The Fast and the Furious," "xXx," Sony's upcoming "Stealth"), Bruce Mellon ("The Skulls," "Cruel Intentions"), and Angela Mancuso ("Spartacus," "Helen of Troy"). Guy Norman Bee ("Las Vegas," "Threat Matrix," "Alias," "Fastlane") is directing the script written by Ron McGee ("Atomic Twister," "Don't Look Down"). Stu Segall Productions, Inc. is the production company, and the distributor is USA Cable Entertainment LLC.

"The Last Ride" is an action-packed, wild ride that comes full circle. When a notorious convict is paroled, three generations of men are fueled by rebellion and driven by revenge as they confront ghosts from their past. The Pontiac GTO, in both its classic and modern forms, provides a catalyst in bringing the family together.

Dennis Hopper ("Easy Rider," "Speed," "Blue Velvet") stars in the lead role as Ronnie, a tough and resourceful con who has just been released on parole after a 30-year prison sentence. Fred Ward ("The Right Stuff," "The Player," "Road Trip") plays Darryl, the man who arrested Ronnie for murder and adopted his son Aaron. Will Patton ("Gone in Sixty Seconds," "Armageddon," "The Agency") portrays Aaron who grew up to be a police detective. Chris Carmack ("The O.C.," "Bring it on Again") plays Matt, Aaron's son and Ronnie's grandson, who idealizes his legendary grandfather and helps him seek revenge against Darryl.

"We're thrilled to be working with Rob Cohen, a terrific filmmaker whose passion for cars and penchant for action come together beautifully in this project," said Laurette Hayden, senior vice president, movies and miniseries for USA.

"With Rob and USA Network focusing on creating a great movie, Pontiac and GM will concentrate on making this a 'must-see' event through creative marketing and promotion," said Steve Tihanyi, general director of General Motors marketing alliances and promotions. "With GM's emphasis on actively pursuing new relationships in the entertainment industry, this level of collaboration is exactly the type of commitment we like to bring to the table."

"'The Last Ride' is an excellent example of the kind of innovative marketing opportunity we strive to deliver our clients," said Kevin McAuliffe, senior vice president, integrated brand entertainment for Universal Television Networks. "As valued clients and forward-thinking industry leaders, Pontiac and GM are the perfect marketing partners for this groundbreaking project."

"Normally, a marketing partner is brought in late in the process after a script is complete and production has begun, making it more difficult to realized the full potential of a project," added Dino Bernacchi, Pontiac advertising manager. "Because we already had a great relationship with Original Film's Rob Cohen and Bruce Mellon, and USA Network really wanted to do something different, we think we can work together to market a great piece of entertainment that will really stand out from all the other clutter in the marketplace."

"While directing the commercials to reintroduce the new GTO," Rob Cohen explained, "I was talking to Dino Bernacchi about how intimately and intricately this car is woven into the American fabric. I was surfing in Venice the next morning when an idea about three generations in one family, all gearheads, and their relationship to the GTO came to me right before an epic wipeout. I survived, however, and the movie was born."

Production on "The Last Ride" is set to begin mid-March in San Diego, CA and the movie will air in second quarter 2004 on USA Network.

USA Network is cable television's leading provider of original series and feature movies, sports events, off-net television shows, and blockbuster theatrical films. USA Network is available in 81% of all U.S. homes and is seen in nearly 87 million U.S. homes. The USA Network Web site is located at www.usanetwork.com .

USA Network is a program service of Universal Television Networks, part of the Universal Television Group a division of Vivendi Universal Entertainment (VUE) (www.universalstudios.com), the U.S.-based film, television and recreation entity of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company.