Judge rules in favor of Fox in battle over Watchmen
- Thread starter Klaus
- Start date
'Watchmen' film in legal jeopardy?
From www.comicbookresources.com :
"Nikki Finke is reporting at Deadline Hollywood that a federal judge has denied Warner Bros.’ motion to dismiss 20th Century Fox’s attempt to preclude the production of Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” film, a development that could potentially have immense ramifications for WB in 2009.
In February of this year, Fox filed a lawsuit to prevent the WB project from going forward, claiming Fox had the exclusive rights to develop, produce and distribute a film based on the hugely popular DC Comics graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Warner Bros. motioned for a dismissal of the lawsuit, and U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess denied WB’s motion last Friday. No decision has yet been made regarding Fox’s desire for an injunction of the entire WB project.
A Fox source told Finke, “"While the Judge's opinion is preliminary and his views could change in the course of the litigation, his current take on the facts is consistent with our position."
This news comes after the recent announcement that the Warner Bros. film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” would be rescheduled from this November to instead premiere in 2009. Should 20th Century Fox manage to secure any profit from Warner’s “Watchmen,” the studio will need to count on the revenue generated by the Harry Potter film to maximize the year’s earnings.
Of Fox’s claim to the rights to “Watchmen,” Finke’s source said, “In essence, the Judge appears to conclude that Fox retained distribution rights in Watchmen through the 1991 Largo quit claim, and he concludes that, under the 1994 turnaround with producer Larry Gordon, Gordon acquired an option to acquire Fox's remaining interest in Watchmen that was never exercised, thereby leaving Fox with its rights under the 1994 agreement.”
From www.comicbookresources.com :
"Nikki Finke is reporting at Deadline Hollywood that a federal judge has denied Warner Bros.’ motion to dismiss 20th Century Fox’s attempt to preclude the production of Zack Snyder’s “Watchmen” film, a development that could potentially have immense ramifications for WB in 2009.
In February of this year, Fox filed a lawsuit to prevent the WB project from going forward, claiming Fox had the exclusive rights to develop, produce and distribute a film based on the hugely popular DC Comics graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Warner Bros. motioned for a dismissal of the lawsuit, and U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess denied WB’s motion last Friday. No decision has yet been made regarding Fox’s desire for an injunction of the entire WB project.
A Fox source told Finke, “"While the Judge's opinion is preliminary and his views could change in the course of the litigation, his current take on the facts is consistent with our position."
This news comes after the recent announcement that the Warner Bros. film “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” would be rescheduled from this November to instead premiere in 2009. Should 20th Century Fox manage to secure any profit from Warner’s “Watchmen,” the studio will need to count on the revenue generated by the Harry Potter film to maximize the year’s earnings.
Of Fox’s claim to the rights to “Watchmen,” Finke’s source said, “In essence, the Judge appears to conclude that Fox retained distribution rights in Watchmen through the 1991 Largo quit claim, and he concludes that, under the 1994 turnaround with producer Larry Gordon, Gordon acquired an option to acquire Fox's remaining interest in Watchmen that was never exercised, thereby leaving Fox with its rights under the 1994 agreement.”
Wow. People actually fought over the right to be responsible fro a shit storm like the Dukes of Hazzard?
This is excellent. There should never be a Watchmen Movie. It's a crime against nature.
This is excellent. There should never be a Watchmen Movie. It's a crime against nature.
Re: 'Watchmen' film in legal jeopardy?
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=63769
These two threads confuse me.
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=63769
These two threads confuse me.
Re: 'Watchmen' film in legal jeopardy?
There's no jeopardy to the movie or its release, here. At worst someone will pay someone else a large amount of money, probably on a percentage basis.
There's no jeopardy to the movie or its release, here. At worst someone will pay someone else a large amount of money, probably on a percentage basis.
This won't prevent the movie from being released, so don't gloat too much.
Why not? Do you think Fox will fail?
Re: 'Watchmen' film in legal jeopardy?
Fox apparently wants exactly that. They've made it clear they plan on blocking it. Do you think they will not succeed in this?
Fox apparently wants exactly that. They've made it clear they plan on blocking it. Do you think they will not succeed in this?
Re: 'Watchmen' film in legal jeopardy?
Long observation. Wait, and you'll see.
Fox's stockholders would like a chunk of the distribution money. They would be unimpressed by corporate officers who passed on that offer in favor of pursuing a costly lawsuit over rights of dubious value to an uncertain conclusion.
Long observation. Wait, and you'll see.
Fox's stockholders would like a chunk of the distribution money. They would be unimpressed by corporate officers who passed on that offer in favor of pursuing a costly lawsuit over rights of dubious value to an uncertain conclusion.
There's too much money involved for the movie to be shelved. They'll sort it out, everybody will get paid, and that will be the end of it.
Re: 'Watchmen' film in legal jeopardy?
because studios are about making money.
no money will be made by just blocking the production but mucho
dollars from a settlement can be.
because studios are about making money.
no money will be made by just blocking the production but mucho
dollars from a settlement can be.
They will settle.
Unless this is the first step to destroy Warners, which considering the monetary implications of that many people being put out of work in America simultaneously, it could be seen as an act of war Against America by a Turkish Nantional.
Making money is good, but crippling your enemies so that they can never make more money than you again is... The long term goal would be assimilation.
But yeah money. Monet fixes everthing.
Making money is good, but crippling your enemies so that they can never make more money than you again is... The long term goal would be assimilation.
But yeah money. Monet fixes everthing.
FOX is just pissed that The Dark Knight is such a huge hit while pretty much all their films this year like Meet the Spartans, Space Chimps, The Happening, X-Files2, and Meet Dave flopped.
FOX SUCKS! THEY CANCELLED FIREFLY!
The television network called the Fox Broadcasting Company is a separate corporate entity from the movie studio called Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. They're both owned by Rupert Murdoch, but they operate separately and have separate decision-making structures. The movie studio is not responsible for what happens on the television network.
On top of which, the people at the FOX network who cancelled Firefly are no longer employed there. So there's no longer any reason to be mad at the television network for that, and there never was any reason to be mad at the movie studio for that.
If only lawsuits like this had popped up in time for movies like "Spice World", "Transformers", and "Iron Man".