Posted by Shawn M. on Dec 25th, 2008
Here’s the skinny. Fox Studios originally held the rights to release a Watchmen movie, but sat on the property. So, the producer shopped it around, and was eventually made by Warner Bros. However, Fox — in a classic dick move — claimed they still had the rights to the property, and sought to hold up its release in court. While originally scheduled to go to trial in January, the ruling judge decided to hand fans an early Christmas present by siding with Fox.
So what does this mean? Basically, Warner Bros. does not have the right to release their movie. Warner can still appeal, but chances are it won’t do a lick of good. There’s also the possibility that Fox and Warner Bros. can work out an agreement to release the film, but such an agreement will probably cost Warner Bros. far too much money.
Don’t give up hope just yet, fanboys. This is the Internet Age after all. If cell phone pictures from Miley Cyrus and whatever other Disney teen star can find their way to the web, I’m sure Watchmen will show up eventually on your favorite P2P service (though we here at WotG would never advocate any type of shady downloading).
Source: The New York Times
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Related posts:
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Ugh. Not the kind of news I wanted to wake up to on this Christmas morning.
On the other hand, this might be seen as a blessing by those who’re already upset (and there are several) over the slightly changed premise of the film’s climax (which I won’t specify for spoiler purposes, just in case Watchmen is still released as planned). Watchmen fans, of which I am one, are notoriously fanatical about it and have been known to fly off the handle at even the suggestion of altering something from the graphic novel for a film adaptation.
As much as this sucks, why can’t I shake the image of Cousin Itt — er, I mean Alan Moore — giving such a huge sigh of relief that we could actually see his face underneath that shaggy crop of face fur?
Don’t blame Fox for being dicks, blame Warner for not doing the proper due diligence before investing heavily in this property. On the plus side, Warner can likely recoup a lot of it’s investment to the producers in a legal action.
I agree.
While Fox was lame of to just sit on the property, the producers were idiots for not seeking to end the agreement before moving it to Warner Brothers.
If anyone was a dick, it was the producers.
Warner Brothers still shares some blame though, because as you said, they should have done their homework.
True, the producers should have researched the matter fully, but then again, it makes you wonder why Fox waited until the movie was completed and near release to pull this. Plain and simple, they’re looking to profit from this. Fox could have easily petitioned for a cease and desist when the movie was in pre-production.
Fox is the dick. The producers were just idiots.
I agree. Fox knew WB was stepping on their turf with this movie, but sat back and did nothing while they went and wrote it, shot it, made CGI for it, and started a marketing blitz for it.
Yes, the American justice system tends to move like molasses in Alaska in the middle of January, but even so the timing of this injunction has to be at least a little suspect. Were I to guess, it almost seems like Fox was hoping WB would do all the work in putting together what by all accounts is likely to be the best film you’re going to get out of Watchmen, then at the last minute they could sweep in and get themselves a free blockbuster under their label.
WB may have been morons for not doing their due diligence with the property, but there’s absolutely no way for Fox to come off like anything other than jerkoffs. It isn’t that they did this at all, it’ s the way they did it and the timing of their doing so.
so does this mean it won’t be coming out? considering the anticipation for this movie i would guess that warner brothers would be willing to pay almost anything to get it out… then again if it’s anything like V for Vendetta they might as well shelve it
It all depends on money, unfortunately. If the accountants at Warner Bros. decide that an appeal or a settlement with Fox will not produce a profit, it’s highly unlikely it will be released through legal means.
I don’t think we’d have to worry about another V for Vendetta here. While there are a few slightly changed premises, it’s nothing on the order of what happened to V’s whole cause in that sludge. The heart and soul of Watchmen is still well represented in this movie, from what I’ve heard, even accounting for the climactic event being achieved via a different avenue than the giant squid.
Let’s face it, even Alan Moore himself – a man not particularly disposed to be complimentary toward any film adaptation of his works, even long before the V for Vendetta fiasco – admitted that David Hayter’s script was, and I quote, “as close as I could imagine anyone getting to Watchmen.” Left-handed praise, but praise nevertheless, and coming from a man who’s disowned the entire project it probably means more than the best Siskel & Roper review money can buy.
…Or was it Roper and Ebert? Gah, I can’t even remember who’s alive or dead anymore…
The timing is brilliant. Why tell them to stop in pre-production when you can wait until they’ve heavily invested in the product?
It gives Fox leverage for whatever concessions they’re looking for, and gives WB a reason to capitulate. It’s not dickery, it’s big business, plain and simple.
It’s not dickery, it’s big business, plain and simple.
And the difference would be…?
Anyone notice Fox conveniently has Wolverine lined up for the summer, already guaranteeing them a box office killing either way?
Still, I don’t think Watchmen will just go away. It’s too big a movie and too seminal a work to just be shelved. A protracted court case could unfold, but even though, we’re looking at a delay, not an indefinite hold.
Let’s face it – no one wants to go down as the the studio that buried Watchmen, and even if the WB bares some responsibility, Fox is the aggressor at this junction. They want a bigger piece of the pie, not a bigger helping of fandom outcry.