20th Century Fox seeks "Watchmen" delay

[JacksonArcher]

Oh boy.

An attorney for 20th Century Fox says the studio will continue to seek an order delaying the release of Watchmen, according to The Associated Press.
U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess last week agreed with Fox that Warner Bros. had infringed its copyright by developing and shooting the film, 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.

Not good. Didn't see this coming, but I should have.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=51577

 

[Harvey]

Really? Why don't they get right down to the part they both care about, pay out the money, and be done with it?

More time for me to read Watchmen, I guess.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I suspect Fox doesn't want a payday right now, because if the movie's a big hit, they will have taken a pittance for it.

Presumably, they want a decision that enables them to share in the profits at no risk to themselves.

Kinda sucks if it delays the movie, though.

 

[davejames]

On the one hand the WB definitely should have done their homework a lot better... but on the other hand, Fox is being SUCH a huge dick about this-- especially considering they weren't doing shit with the project themselves.

If Fox was working on their OWN version at the same time as WB, I'd understand their anger, but this is nothing more than them trying to piggyback on another studio's hard work. Based on what's probably little more than a technicality in the legal rights.

 

[CaptainCanada]

If Fox paid money for the rights (and they presumably didn't get them for bubblegum), then I suppose they're entitled to it; I would hope somebody in the WB's legal department got fired for this.

 

[T'Baio]

People are just pissed off because Fox movies generally suck, they tend to low ball genre material and Tom Rothman is a fucking dick.

But if Fox owned whatever portion of rights or distribution and Warner Brothers went ahead without legally okaying it, Fox has every right to be dicks about it. It's their property, but WB went ahead and made a movie hoping they wouldn't do anything about it? I'd let them finish then fuck them over, too, 'cause that's balls.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Some fans have threatened to boycott Wolverine if Watchmen is held up. Does Fox care?

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Some fans have threatened to boycott Wolverine if Watchmen is held up. Does Fox care?

Like a bunch of pissed off Watchmen fans are even going to make a dent in the box office of one of the summer's big tentpole films. Plus, I'm fairly certain those anticipating Watchmen and those anticipating Wolverine are for the most part the same people. I can't see many people skipping out on Wolverine if Watchmen gets delayed (which I hope to god it does not, as it's easily the film I am anticipating the most next year)

 

[Capt_Piett]

Just watch...I'm betting as the release date draws closer, Fox and WB will come to terms...to the tune of millions and millions of dollars....

 

[wew]

I recall something about the Judge requesting the parties meet together to try and resolve the issue. Whether that actually influences either party is another matter though.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

They will likely come up with some sort of settlement. Fox sees the chance to earn a big pile of cash while Warners takes all the risk and makes all the investment.

But I do think that if Warner chafes, Fox will not hesitate to block the movie. They have virtually nothing to lose and a huge amount to gain. So if this thing gets bogged down in legal wrangling, I wouldn't be shocked to see Watchmen languish on the shelf for months, if not years, past its release date.

 

[Noname Given]

They will likely come up with some sort of settlement. Fox sees the chance to earn a big pile of cash while Warners takes all the risk and makes all the investment.

But I do think that if Warner chafes, Fox will not hesitate to block the movie. They have virtually nothing to lose and a huge amount to gain. So if this thing gets bogged down in legal wrangling, I wouldn't be shocked to see Watchmen languish on the shelf for months, if not years, past its release date.

The DVD and even Cable rights situation is probably going to make this situation even MORE interesting down the road. And WB has way more to loose as I doubt FOX cares wether this film makes dollar one, unless they get a sizeable 'profit percentage' agreement out of all this.

 

[Norrin Radd]

It would be funny if after all this, the film was a giant turd.

 

[HRHTheKING]

I think Adrian Veidt is behind all this.


He probably owns Fox AND Warner Bros AND the judge in that case.

 

[FreezeC77]

Some fans have threatened to boycott Wolverine if Watchmen is held up. Does Fox care?

On the flip side I also know quite a few Watchmen fans who are extremely happy and would love nothing better then the movie not to even be released.

I'm pretty neutral on it. I think if you don't like a movie being made out of it or the direction they're going just don't watch the damn movie.

Although I honestly haven't seen anything in the trailers that excite me or make me want to see the Watchmen movie either.

 

[Ethros]

If this films gets significantly delayed I think I might go to the head of FOX and push him out of a high storey window myself

 

[Guy Gardener]

If the movie is shelfed by Fox, it's going to be leaked on the net by Warner Brothers, especially if Fox is insane enough to begin their own Watchmen Movie... Which would be hilarious.

What's Fox got scheduled for the same opening weekend as Watchmen by the way? 'Cause what ever that movie is, it's going to do a hell of a lot better if there isn't another blockbuster making a hundered and fifty million during it's opening weekend sucking up every punters disposable income?