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Fox Suing Warner Bros. Over Watchmen Rights
Well it looks like Fox and Warner Bros. are going to court over the rights to Watchmen. The lawyers will win and the fans will lose. We get the scoop today from our friends at ropeofsilicon:
Fox seeks to enjoin Warners from going forward Watchmen, saying in the lawsuit that it seeks to “restrain (Warner Bros. Pictures) from taking actions that violate Fox’s copyrights and which stand to forever impair Fox’s rights to control the distribution and development of this unique work.”
Fox claims that between 1986 and 1990, it acquired all movie rights to the 12-issue DC Comics series and screenplays by Charles McKeown and Sam Hamm. 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 “Watchmen,” 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.The project apparently bounced around to Universal and Paramount before returning to Warners. Now, Fox claims that neither Gordon nor Warners 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.
If you have had the rights since 1986 and have not done anything with the film, I have a hard time feeling sorry for you. As far as I am concerned, as long as Fox gets back what it paid for the rights; they are square in my books. It seems strange that they are dealing with this issue now, why not keep track of your property and make sure it comes to fruition? If I was Warner Bros. I would inform Fox’s legal department to suck my Hungarian bag meat.
I find news like this incredibly boring and would usually not have much to say, but come on now. For 20 years Watchmen fans have been robbed of a movie because you did nothing with it, and now you are going to act like a bunch of jealous cunts because someone else is going to deliver? I do not care who “legally” is in the right, from where I am blogging Fox is in the wrong.
International friends and Watchmen fans – what are your thoughts?
Sounds like Spiderman bullshit all over again and look how long it took for that to finally be done in lawsuit land. Why the fuck now does Fox feel the need to sue when the movie has already started production? I know that lawsuits take some time to fester but if Warner Bros. had this over their head before production started why did they even start and tease us fans?
I fully agree with you about if they had the rights since ‘86, if that’s the case they need to sell the rights to someone who gives a flying fuck. Now I see why Marvel created their own studio, they were tired of their property sitting in limbo to dumb fucks like this.
Why did Fox wait with until AFTER the shooting was done. Fox has to be the most retarded people ever
It seems that Fox is (instead of making movies) trying to write a book entitled, “The Art of Douchebaggerie”. From their comic-con pull-out to the blatant lies about Galactus NOT being a storm cloud at the end of “Fantastic Four 2″ (They hate it if you call it that), their antics are simply amazing. Maybe John, Doug and the rest of The Movie Blog crew should begin writing the Biopic so they can release the movie right after Fox is discovered lying dead face-first in their toilet. I would say that this is the last straw but I’m absolutely certain that it isn’t. I would with them luck with their future projects, but when a looming storm-cloud is ready to tear your planet apart, things typically look “Grimm”. Maybe the Silver Surfer will come along and save the day. Or…maybe not. I got it! Let’s double dip on the DVD release of the first movie!!!
Did I cover everything?
It seems that Fox is (instead of making movies) trying to write a book entitled, “The Art of Douchebaggerie”. From their comic-con pull-out to the blatant lies about Galactus NOT being a storm cloud at the end of “Fantastic Four 2″ (They hate it if you call it that), their antics are simply amazing. Maybe John, Doug and the rest of The Movie Blog crew should begin writing the Biopic so they can release the movie right after Fox is discovered lying dead face-first in their toilet. I would say that this is the last straw but I’m absolutely certain that it isn’t. I would wish them luck with their future projects, but when a looming storm-cloud is ready to tear your planet apart, things typically look “Grimm”. Maybe the Silver Surfer will come along and save the day. Or…maybe not. I got it! Let’s double dip on the DVD release of the first movie!!!
Did I cover everything?
I just thought that what I had to say was sooo important, I had to post it twice. Doh. Sorry, guys.
If those hacks at FOX manage to delay the release of this movie somehow, I’ll strap a belt made of explosives to my waste and head off to their studio.
Is there-no scrap that- was there, at any time, anyone involved at FOX that could have helped foot the bill with Warners? No?
Studios have movies stuck in development hell from time to time. Studios put projects in turnaround from time to time. FOX …instead of making ‘Watchmen’ made that dungheap bloody vile raping called ‘LXG’.
The Watchmen film has a different script. They have a different director (Terry Gilliam was once attatched to the Hamm-McKeown script). At any time when Zack Snyder said he’ll do Watchmen, (*any time means just that. any freaking time*) FOX execs could have stirred up something then. Let’s see…nope.
And while we are on the subject, are the execs at FOX, with all respect to FOX, the same people who ran the studio in the late 80s to mid 90’s? It’s not out of the ordinary for a new crop to erradicate projects left behind from former regimes. At least in the late 80’s to mid 90’s anyway.
Films and projects get bounced around studios all the time. WB should not pony up a dime to FOX. Now, on one hand I don’t care what the new regime at WB is going to do to New Line in a year or less, but that’s another story (and Why hasn’t TMB reported on it and how it could affect The Hobbit is still beyond me)
*****
As for the Fan Four Galactus Storm Cloud: the idea is that Galactus should appear in a Silver Surfer spinoff movie, in which the second Fan Four film was simply used like a cheap two dollar whore.
what better way for DC to make up for JLAs disaster then make a watchmen movie!
watchmen are like the “sams choice” of coke and pepsi (who would be the avengers and JLA)
i could make this coment really really long (about 5 more paragraphs) but- im sure its not necessary.
Yeah, it definitely sounds like someone dropped the ball on keeping track of this property, and I have just about 0 sympathy for Fox as well. I’m still not convinced that Watchmen will translate well yo the big screen, and I loved 300, but I just dunno if Sbyder has the directing chops to tackle this.
the tools at fox can go eat a fat one & swallow it all up.
as for Snyder, he’s yet to to direct something that was wack. benifit of the doubt to him. if fox wins their suit, i hope Wolverine bombs.
No, actually THE FANS WIN because THE FANS DO NOT WANT THIS MOVIE MADE.
There’s little to gain and almost everything to lose in translating this to the screen. I think both Doug and John have both said that they haven’t read this. Both of you guys should do yourself a favor and do so. After you read it you’ll most likely agree with about 90% of Watchmen fans: this story works so well as a comic book, there’s no need for a big Hollywood movie, period!
This isn’t a prose work like Lord of the Rings, where fans could be enticed to see visual images of the characters–it’s a comic book, and Dave Gibbons’ art works just fine in providing visuals, thanks very much!
I do need to read it. Perhaps this weekend
Reading it is a must. I think it would make a great movie but it will not be easy. The complexity of each character, their origins, inspirations, and insecurities would have to be shown properly to give credit to the work of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Speaking of which, why does Alan Moore disavow any participation or connection with any of his comic books-turned-movies? Is it because he knows they will be lousy renditions? Hmmm,… just like Jon Osterman?
Doug I cannot recommend the book enough. Hell I’ll fucking send you mine if I have to. As far as a movie getting made for it, Alan Moore has already written the book. A movie will not ruin the book. The story has already been told (and told mighty well). I would love to see a movie of it, if only to see what is done with it.
Fox waited this long, because they KNOW Warner can’t stop the production and will have to pay the big bucks out to keep it running. A devious plan indeed.
As Fox sits around and bemoans the writers strike, the fat cats sit on top of their city-sized pile of money and wonder how they can make up for the lost revenue of the past few months. They look across their pile of money to Warner’s pile of money and say “Oh snap! Let’s take some of theirs! If only we had a way to take it.”
I am glad they waited 20 years…production technology advances will improve the look of the movie…as to the Fox folks, I agree with Bishop…just blackmail to get more money.
when AREN’T Fox in the wrong?
what is it about the moronic shallow crap-fest 300 that makes people think snyder is capable of handling the deep, smart and clever watchmen???
seriously….300 is a braindead piece of junk.
watchmen is not.
I am not saying he can’t do it justice but people seem to think 300 is proof he is the right guy and i just don’t see how people think that.
yeeaahh- 300 pretty much sucked the meat
Does anyone think this is a tactic by the obviously government influenced Fox corporation to suppress subversive stories like The Watchmen from entering mainstream media?