Heroes, Saved: Warner Wins Watchmen from Fox
Watchmen
Finally, an epic battle of global proportions has come to an end: Watchmen will arrive in theaters, as planned, on March 6.
Warner Bros. won rights to the superhero flick from Fox, which sued the studio over copyright infringement last February, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Lawyers for both companies announced Friday that the case had been settled, with Warner paying Fox an undisclosed amount of money, along with an agreement to pay the studio a percentage of revenue. Fox will no longer co-distribute the movie, nor co-own any of the Watchmen property.
The case was based on an agreement Fox claimed it had made with producer Larry Gordon in 1991. During the trial, Gordon's then-attorney said he had no knowledge of that prior agreement when he negotiated a separation from Fox in 1994.
Gordon was not named in the lawsuit, but Warner is reportedly pursuing reimbursement from the producer and his lawyers for the settlement costs. In recent weeks, the battle between the studios grew increasingly heated, with Gordon firing off a letter to the case's judge, saying that he had been subjected to "significant public scorn" over the matter. Judge Gary Feess refused to read it, citing violation of court rules.
Yet, at the close of the showdown, both studios were polite. Fox thanked the court for "careful management of the case," while Warner's lawyer thanked the judge for his time, a separate article in the Reporter said.
With a sizable fan base, the movie stands to garner considerable bucks at the box office. 300 director Zack Snyder is directing the big-screen version of the comic. Set in a parallel version of 1985, the series follows a group of costumed heroes trying to solve a murder in a world on the brink of nuclear war.
What's your take on the verdict? Will it affect your interest in Watchmen when the movie hits theaters?
