The Hollywood Reporter, Variety and other movie sites are reporting that Fox and Warners have reached a deal to resolve the legal limbo that Zack Snyder’s upcoming Watchmen movie had descended into. Fox had a claim on distribution rights which they said were separate from the film rights which Warners had purchased. With the multi-million pound film due to be released in only a few weeks time in March both studios had been trying to fast-track the case through the courts after a 2008 ruling that Fox did indeed have some legal rights to the film; both studios have now comprimised – Fox will not be a co-distributor, but it will receive share in the revenues from the film as well as an upfront payment to cover their intial development costs.
(the Minutemen pose for the camera in the Watchmen movie)
It is thought that Warners will now turn their legal attention to producer Larry Gordon and his lawyers after a December decision by the judge decreed that Gordon had not secured all of the rights properly before moving the project from Fox to Warners. All of which is, as usual, good news for the lawyers for the studios who are no doubt raking it in. And its good news for some fans (although bad news for others who disapprove of the film being made) as it means that its looking pretty sure that the Watchmen movie will now come out as scheduled in March.
Fri, Jan 16, 2009
Comics and cartoons, Film, TV and radio