[carthut]

20th Century Fox has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Pictures claiming it holds the exclusive copyrights and contract rights to Alan Moore's graphic novel "Watchmen". Warners has been in production on the film version of the acclaimed book for several months with Zack Snyder ("300") at the helm.

Fox claims that between 1986 and 1990, it acquired all movie rights to the comics and screenplays. In 1991, Fox assigned some rights via a quitclaim to Largo International with the understanding that the studio held exclusive rights to distribute the first motion picture based on the comic according to the lawsuit.

When Largo dismantled, the rights were transferred to producer Lawrence Gordon. Under a "turnaround agreement" between Fox and Gordon, the producer agreed to pay a buy-out price to Fox if he entered into any agreement with another studio or third party to develop or produce Watchmen, among other things.

Fox claims that neither Gordon nor Warner Bros. has paid the buy-out price or advised the studio of any other conditions required under the agreement, including procedures necessary to acquire the rights to Watchmen from Fox.

[carthut]

The official site for Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" film adaptation has been updated with a new entry by executive producer Herb Gains. Shooting is almost wrapped on the production and Gains is excited:

"As we approach the last days of shooting Watchmen -- yes, the end is nigh -- it's time to reflect on the whole Watchmen experience. I think back to January 2007 when I first met Zack and he walked me through his drawings for the title sequence.

I remember my initial reaction was, How can we shoot all of it? Why do we have to shoot all that? And if we do, how do we shoot all of it? We spent the next two months scouting, researching and budgeting locations all over the world, including Australia, London, Prague, Spain -- at one point we even considered New York -- and, of course, Los Angeles.

I now sit in my Vancouver hotel room one year later, and guess what? We did shoot all of it -- every frame of it, and not just the title sequence drawings but all of Zack's drawings are now committed to film. The combination of modern-day technology and the level of artistic ability of so many people has made the Watchmen experience second to none. The spirit behind the making of this film was nothing short of total pleasure and love.

As I wandered from room to room at the wrap party, there was not only a sense of accomplishment from everyone involved but a feeling of sadness that it's coming to an end. The one thing that remains for me is the anticipation and excitement of seeing the finished product, knowing that we've all worked on something very special."

Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer all star in the film opening March 6th 2009.

[phulboss]

check out pics of ozymandias, silk specter, rorschach, nite owl, and comedian here (appropriately enough): http://www.veidt.com/

ni-ice!

[carthut]

[thesibster]

[ncajayon]

[vader]

'Watchmen' lawsuit roils Hollywood
Aug 18, 2008, 08:23 PM | by Josh Rottenberg

Last year, Warner Bros. rolled film on Watchmen, Zack Snyder’s $100 million adaptation of a comic book widely hailed as the greatest superhero story ever created. But did the studio even have the right to make the movie at all?

Earlier this year, Twentieth Century Fox filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. seeking to stop Watchmen’s release (scheduled for March 6, 2009), claiming that it, not Warner Bros., held the distribution rights to any motion picture made from the material. Today, a judge declined Warner Bros.’ request to dismiss the lawsuit, setting the stage for a possibly ugly legal tussle.

Read the rest here:
http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/08/ ... awsui.html

[1ringwdforce]

Prepare to be blown away.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5EXW2-Fj9Q[/youtube]

[vader]

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[/html]

[Black Adam]

wow. just WOW

[drzenith]

Watchman looks like the Movie Event for next year.

The Question...I mean Rorsarch would be cool.

[carthut]

“Who Watches The Watchmen?”
Maybe no one.

In a surprise ruling, ruling, a federal judge in Los Angeles said he intended to grant 20th Century Fox’s claim that it owns a copyright interest in WATCHMEN -- a movie shot by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures and scheduled for a March 6, 2009 release.

“Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the WATCHMEN motion picture,” the ruling said.

In Wednesday’s rulings, the judge advised both Fox and Warner to look toward a settlement or an appeal. “The parties may wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review,” he said.

Let’s hope that a Fox and WB can come to some sort of settlement so we -- the fans and movie-going audience -- don’t get screwed.

SOURCE: VARIETY.COM.