So, after a serious legal battle, a judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Fox actually owns the distribution rights to Watchmen. This may seriously inhibit Warner Bros.’ plans for the March 2009 release of the film. Hopefully, Fox is just using the legal battle as a way to just get some of the profits from the movie and subsequent DVD sales, but no one is sure what their intentions are. The judge who ruled on the case suggested that Fox and Warner Bros. settle the case, so hopefully they will take the judge’s advice. There are a few petitions out there on the interwebs asking the Fox not delay or edit the movie, so if you feel that you need to do something, that’s an option. There’s also no word yet on whether the ruling will affect the coming tie-in game Watchmen: The End is Nigh. So if anyone else cares to join me, I’ll be outside doing some sort of voo-doo rain dance or something hoping that Fox doesn’t mess up this movie!
December 28th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
I’ll join you. I’ve been all over this movie since the trailer came out.
December 28th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Pffft.
WB should just air it, Fox will sue, and the judge will fine WB, which will easily be able to cover the costs of the suit from the profits of the film.
I’m tired of judges, who are just normal human beings, being on power trips. I see it all the time.
December 28th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Ugh, I say! Ugh!
December 28th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Damn… that is why it is important for film makers to clear this up before hyping something. When I had heard that Warner was releasing the film, I questioned as to whether the issues with Fox had all ready been resolved but later learned that they had not. Now with this ruling, it really puts the future of this movie in jeopardy. Hopefully something can be done that would suit both sides and let this movie be released as planned and with little or no delay.
December 29th, 2008 at 2:32 am
Man, I hope they reach an agreement. If this got delayed it would be EPIC SUCK.
December 29th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Well, I blame it all on Fox, actually, since this movie has been in production for 2 years now, and the teaser trailer came out in July, and Fox waits til NOW to say something? All they want is money. WB should just give them some and be done with it.
December 29th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Actually, Red Laura, Fox brought litigation for the property first back in February of 2008, way before the trailer was released. They sent notices to both Warner Bros and producer Lawrence Gordon of their intention to fight the release since Fox was not included in the deal that they had in place with Gordon after he was awarded only a partial amount of the rights to distribute and produce the film back in 1991. Fox originally bought the rights to the whole project as far back as 1986 and Gordon was well aware that he had to notify and or include Fox in any production of the movie since they owned the other parts of the distribution rights to the film.
L.A. Times Article
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-ca-watchmen16-2008nov16,0,4972856,full.story
N.Y. Times Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/business/media/25fox.html?_r=1
Hollywood Reporter
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i2f608e22d68972d4c6a6b7e72b2048cf?pn=1
December 29th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I’ll say what I said on my friend’s blog—he wrote about this, too:
Fox is rather stupid, but to be fair, they have been fighting to prove they owned the rights to the movie for a while now. So it’s the WB’s fault for stealing it, even if they did make what is probably going to be an extremely high-quality film. So I want to know who the dipshit was who didn’t step in and say, “Uhm, Fox owns this already,” when he was responsible to.
Still, Fox doesn’t have to be an ass. I understand why they’re pissed, but yeah, they don’t have to take it out on the fans by delaying it. It all comes down to money, so they should just leech as much money out of WB for being thieves. But if they mess up the release of the movie in any way, fans aren’t going to be enraged in masses at WB for being moronic thieves—they’re going to come at Fox with torches.
December 30th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Ah, I stand corrected. They’re both jerks then.
December 30th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
the whole development and turn around deals of Hollywood are stupid, it buries good movies. read the LA times article. 4 different studios pretty much said you owe us if you want to make this film. we’re lucky it got made, and if it doesn’t come out, I’ll buy the bootleg.