Based on conversations I've had with a few people today, I am reasonably confidant this litigation only has a few days left to run. Despite their public statements, I believe Axanar knows they are finished. Indeed, I suspect the main reason for their continued public bravado is they are trying to convince donors they're doing everything possible to keep production going--in the hopes those same donors won't turn around and sue them for breach of contract or fraud.
The only question is what will be CBS and Paramount's terms of surrender. I don't see how the studios can allow Axanar to keep any of the money it has raised. I think any settlement will require an outside auditing of Axanar's books, because as we've all commented on here, the "annual report" is a joke. I think the studios will want Axanar to turn over any records related to its relationship with Indiegogo and Kickstarter, because let's not forget they were the major financial beneficiaries in all this. And obviously, Axanar will have to destroy any copyrighted materials still in their possession (patches, Blu-rays, etc.)
Where does that leave the donors? My guess is there won't be much left for them. Remember, Axanar (or maybe Peters individually, I don't know) will still be on the hook for the Ares Studios lease. That plus other legal expenses related to any settlement will probably destroy whatever assets Axanar as a corporation has remaining. Obviously I don't know anything about Peters' personal assets.
