Fox says it will try to stop 'Watchmen'
Update: WB releases new Behind-The-Scenes Footage
LOS ANGELES (AP) - An attorney for 20th Century Fox says the studio will continue to seek an order delaying the release of 'Watchmen.'
U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess last week agreed with Fox that Warner Bros. had infringed its copyright by developing and shooting the superhero flick, scheduled for release March 6.
Feess said Monday he plans to hold a trial Jan. 20 to decide remaining issues.
Fox claims it never fully relinquished story rights from its deal made in the late 1980s, and sued Warner Bros. in February. Warner Bros. contended Fox isn't entitled to distribution.
Warner Bros.' attorney said Monday he didn't know if an appeal was coming, but thinks a trial is necessary and a settlement unlikely.
Copyright (2008) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Update: Warner Bros. continues marketing "Watchmen" for a March 6, 2009 release. Case in point, latest behind-the-scenes featurette with new footage from the movie.
Further Analysis from Drew McWeeny's Motion Captured PREVIOUSLY... Judge say Fox owns 'Watchmen' Rights Analysis from Drew McWeeny's Motion Captured Analysis from Awards Campaign 2009
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Login or create a HitFix account Login Signuparash That'd be a bummer. I say they should wait till after the movie comes out, grosses a lot of money then ask for a cut of it.
December 29, 2008 at 8:13PM EST Reply to Commente0116103 "We sat on a story for 30 years and did nothing, but now we'll complain and sue because I'll be darned if it doesn't look like we should have."
December 29, 2008 at 10:57PM EST Reply to CommentTheMark Sure, from a legal standpoint, WB is technically in the wrong here--but Fox wins the 'popular vote' just for being pricks.
December 30, 2008 at 12:14PM EST Reply to CommentLets not forget to thank them for the most awkward title for a Wolverine movie. I can't wait to see the packaging for the soundtrack. X-Men: Origins: Wolverine: The Movie: The Soundtrack!
Razorback The judge did the right thing. WB should have known better, and I believe they DID know better. FOX will now either kill the movie or allow it to be released and take the DVD/BD profits (the court will likely allow WB to recoup its investment in the movie).
December 30, 2008 at 1:07PM EST Reply to CommentMilkman Fox only has distribution rights, rights which WB knew about and Fox tried to fix before going to court and before filming began. WB told them to walk. WB is to blame here and WB only. Oh, and Gordon for not remembering his contract.
December 30, 2008 at 3:09PM EST Reply to CommentThe Eskimo The other sho has to drop sometime. There is no way WB went forward with this without being pretty darn certain they had the rights. You don't just up and make a movie, especially one based on other people's ideas. WB bought the "rights" from someone...whether they were scammed or not will be interesting to see...but I can't believe there is not something here we are all missing.
December 30, 2008 at 3:32PM EST Reply to CommentMilkman Fox did got to WB before filming began and WB told Fox to, basically, go screw. Maybe WB thought fox wanted too much for their rights as they have asked the judge to "summarily adjudicate the issue of a contractual cap on the amount of compensatory damages to which Fox is entitled.†WB just very well may have been hoping all along to get a better price in court than what Fox wanted after seeing how much money 300 made.
December 30, 2008 at 3:38PM EST Reply to CommentEveryone is worrying that Fox will make changes. They wont. They can't. They only have distribution rights.
The Eskimo Ya know...I just thought of this...Maybe this whole legal thing is like an elaborate Ozymandius trick to save the world...or at least to hype the interest in this movie.
December 30, 2008 at 3:43PM EST Reply to CommentInfinite_Regress Alan Moore is behind all this. I suspect he summoned that snake god of his and cursed the whole production, in much the same way he cast a spell over Joel Silver to make him think Natalie Portman could do a credible English accent in V For Vendetta.
December 30, 2008 at 7:50PM EST Reply to CommentInfinite_Regress Plus gods help us if Tom Rothman gets his talentless claws on this film. It's a tough call whether Watchmen will be any good - I didn't care for either of Zack Syder's previous adaptations - but if Rothman gets at the AVID it's sure to end up a big pile of crap.
December 30, 2008 at 7:58PM EST Reply to CommentSteveBIRK Wow hopefully it doesn't get pushed back to far. I have heard a bunch of good things about this movie and I think I am going to read the book that they based the movie off of
December 31, 2008 at 12:52PM EST Reply to CommentLazarusReturns God that would be one of the biggest movie upsets in a long time. Fox you already screwed over Firefly don't you ever learn?
December 31, 2008 at 4:15PM EST Reply to Comment