Thursday, December 25, 2008

Fox Wins Warners "Watchmen"...

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A Los Angeles federal judge has ruled that 20th Century Fox owns distribution rights to the Vancouver-lensed comic book-to-film adaptation "Watchmen," representing a setback for producer Warners' plans to release the film in March.

"Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the 'Watchmen' motion picture," said Judge Gary Allen Feess, a week after setting a Jan. 20 trial date for Fox's suit.

Warner Bros. has not yet re-scheduled the March 6 release date for "Watchmen," directed by Zack "300" Snyder, starring actors Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley.

Fox filed the suit in February, contending it retains distribution rights to the graphic novel penned by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, asserting that producer Lawrence Gordon's option to acquire Fox's remaining interest in "Watchmen" was never exercised, thereby leaving Fox with its rights under a 1994 turnaround agreement.

Fox originally acquired film rights to "Watchmen" in the 1980's, spending more than $1 million developing the project, which later went to Universal, Paramount, then Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, producers of "Superman Returns"...




Watchmen Movie Series 1 Action Figure Set