Well, we’ll always have the poster.
The Hollywood Reporter says that the trial over the film rights to Watchmen will begin on January 6th. The film has a March 6th release date.
Fox believes that Warner Brothers, the maker and distributor of Watchmen does not own all the rights to distribute the film, and that due to a previous agreement, Fox still holds those rights. Fox has previously said that they are not simply seeking a cut of the film’s profits; they want to stop the release of the film completely.
Much to my mother’s eternal despair, I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t want to make my own attempt to explain the complexities of the issues involved. But for those of you who are interested, here’s THR’s version:
“At issue is whether Fox still holds the rights to “Watchmen.” The studio sued Warners in February for copyright infringement and interference with its contract rights under a 1991 agreement between Fox and Largo Entertainment producer Larry Gordon.
Under that deal, Fox “quitclaimed” its right to “Watchmen” to Largo, with the understanding that if the production company proceeded with making a big-screen version, then the movie would be distributed by Fox. It later negotiated a “turnaround notice” with Gordon that established a buyout formula for the studio if Gordon wanted to buy out Fox’s rights. But, according to Fox, Gordon failed to follow that deal.
Gordon negotiated a quitclaim contract with Warners in 2006, which it claims gave them the rights to “Watchmen.” But Fox contends it retains the rights because of Gordon’s failure to buy out the studio’s rights. Warners said Fox gave up its rights in 1991.”
Okay! Got that? Good.
US District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess told Fox not to try to get an injunction to stop the release of the film temporarily, but instead that both sides should just prepare for trial. The idea is to wrap it up with a final decision before the scheduled release rather than get involved with interim agreements or rulings.
It’s taken a long time for Watchmen to reach the screen and this film, directed by Zack Snyder, is one of the most highly anticipated and buzzed about films of 2009. To have it held up would be incredibly disappointing (and by the way, as I’ve said before, I don’t think anyone really believes Fox’s threat that they want to bury the film completely; they’re just angling to get the best deal they can).
So sit back, enjoy the trial, and hope for the best. Or at least some good courtroom drama. Ahh, contract law–the fireworks are usually just crazy.
