Ho ho how the heck did that happen?

Yes, I know someone somewhere screwed up on the turnaround paperwork on "Watchmen," and I understand that the letter of the law may well indicate that Larry Gordon forgot to cross some t or dot some i. But I also think Fox played a classic ambush here, and it's a particularly ugly one.

Let me ask you something, Fox.

And I ask here because you won't even take my calls.  That's long established.  Forget screening me a movie ever.  Just the basic courtesy of communication?  Nope.  Company wide, evidently.

I assume they deliver the trades over at 20th Century Fox.  Somewhere on the lot.  At least one copy each of VARIETY and THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, every single day.  Most conservative absurd estimate possible.  Even if it's just that one copy... then at several points over the last, ohlet'sjustsay20yearsforfun... you've had the opportunity to read "Watchmen" news.  It must have at some point crossed someone's radar.  Because it's only been ONE OF THE MOST WRITTEN ABOUT AND ENDLESSLY DEVELOPED PIECES OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MAKING THE LEAP FROM SOURCE-TO-SCREEN IN THE LAST TWO DECADES.

Seriously.

You can't possibly say you didn't notice until Zack Snyder was finished making his movie.

"Oh, hey, wait, is that our WATCHMEN?  You mean the one we own?"

Foul.  Huge huge party foul on you, Fox.

If this is really the play, then I think it's a poor one.

And I hate the notion that there's a price that will make this go away.  And that the price has something to do with the perpetual DVD rights on another property altogether. I hope that's not right.

Will we see "Watchmen" in 2009?

Yes.

Will we see Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" in 2009?

I hope so.

Will we see Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" eventually?

Definitely.

Will we see the Fox logo in front of the film with the Warner logo?

Probably.  With Legendary, too.

Is all of this sort of unbelievable to observe from the sidelines?

Absolutely.