Who's watching "The Watchmen"?

[The Third Dukes]

Twentieth Century Fox said on Monday it will seek an injunction to block release of the Warner Bros movie "Watchmen" after a Los Angeles court ruled a copyright lawsuit against Warner can go forward.

The movie about raffish, flawed superheroes -- which has already been shot -- is slated for release on March 6, said Warner Bros spokesman Scott Roe.

The highly anticipated film, with a budget believed to be about $120 million, is based on a 1980s DC Comics graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.

In his decision released last week, Judge Gary Feess of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California wrote that Fox could hold some of the rights to the material, even if it did not hold all rights.

Fox argues it acquired motion picture rights to the "Watchmen" graphic novel in the last 1980s, and that even though it relinquished certain rights to the material in 1991 it held onto the right to distribute the first movie.

"We will be asking the court to enforce Fox's copyright interests in "The Watchmen" and enjoin the release of the Warner Brothers film and any related 'Watchmen' media that violate our copyright interests in that property," said Fox spokesman Gregg Brilliant.

"The Watchmen" is directed by Zack Snyder, who made the 2007 hit movie "300." The film is based on edgy material and takes an unorthodox approach to the superhero movie by focusing on flawed antiheroes.

Scott Rowe, a spokesman for Warner Bros, said the ruling only means that the case will go forward.

"The judge did not opine at all on the merits, other than to conclude that Fox satisfied the pending requirements," Rowe said. "We respectfully disagree with Fox's position and do not believe they have any rights in and to this project."

Feess' ruling was issued on Wednesday, in response to Warner Bros' request to have the case dismissed. Warner Bros made the request after Fox sought an injunction against release of "Watchmen."

Fox filed its lawsuit against Warner Bros in February. Fox's accusations against its rival studio included copyright infringement, interference with contract and breach of contract.

DC Comics, the company behind the "Watchmen" graphic novel, is a subsidiary of Warner Bros, which is owned by Time Warner Inc. Fox is owned by News Corp.

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Discuss. Or yell at me for not seeing this in another thread.

[apsham]

As I said in a thread on another forum; fuck Fox.

I have NEVER been this hyped for a movie in a long time, and the trailer alone did that.

[tristy]

Who watches the Watchmen? Not us in 2009

[GoGo Yubari]

"The Watchmen?"

[JairusCain]

Odds are this will be settled to where Fox gets a good chunk of the money this movie makes. I'm sure it will still be released, but WB will get screwed over on the profits.

[MDK]

Fox Spokesman Gregg Brilliant? What a name.

[Hutch2004]

I work in a call centre and had a client ring up yesterday called Dan Collision. The two of them should so form a team. Better than Rorsach and Nite-Owl anyday.

[Crybaby Bunting]

It seems to me like the first company aquired the rights to the film and subsequent royalties on the movie franchise but then couldn't come up with a movie in the end. The second then aquired the rights to the film but the first still wanted claim to the royalties that they aquired at the start.

Is this pretty much the sum of it because it's a tricky and complex thing i can't seem to understand?

And if that is the case then surely the first company either shouldn't have let their franchise contract run out without capitalising on it, or sold it on around that time to get a chunk of the money back. the first company should have no claim to the second companys film rights considering it's the second companys film.

[Guest Grapehead]

Basically from what I gathered... Fox had all the rights to the idea of a Watchmen movie, from back in like 1986-90 or something. They sold the rights to create the film, but they still hold distribution rights. WB is lined up to distribute this movie, which is why Fox is suing. The guy creating the movie was obligated by Fox to compensate them if he went to another distribution company to make a Watchmen movie, which he clearly did not. Fox is legitimately owed money for this movie, and in my opinion have the right to shut it down entirely since their contracts were voided by WB and the gentleman(who's name I forget at this point) that made the deal with WB. Hopefully this gets resolved and the movie is released cause it looks like it might be good.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Yeah, but the dickhead move is that Fox could either block the release of the movie all together OR they could take some of the profit from the movie and guess which one Fox chose?

[apsham]

I'm the paying public, all I give a shit about is seeing a movie that looks fucking awesome... and I don't really give a shit if Fox gets another million.