By Ryan Parsons | Image property of Warner Bros, EW
Watchmen
It is easy to be incredibly mad at 20th Century Fox over this whole Watchmen lawsuit. Hell - I'm even mad at them. After seeing this production hit so many bumps in the road over the YEARS, Warner Bros was the only studio willing to take a risk on it; and it looks like it is going to be great. Just when things are looking up, here comes Fox with a self-made bump in the road.
So - Last we're told that Fox would rather prevent the release of Watchmen instead of getting a lump sum payment or a percentage of distribution profits. Well, that might not be the case.
So - From what we can tell, Fox waited until Watchmen entered deep production before blindsiding Warner Bros. with the lawsuit. That alone raised my enough, but the claim could also be inaccurate.
Entertainment Weekly took a harder look at the lawsuit and has (in a way) come to the defense of Fox.
Fox's Defense for Watchmen Lawsuit
Don't star bootlegging X-Men Origins: Wolverine just yet, as Fox may not (entirely) be in the wrong here.
One question many observers have had about this situation is the timing of the lawsuit. Fox filed its complaint back in February — just as Snyder was wrapping production on Watchmen. The assumption many are making is that Fox stood by and did nothing as Warner Bros. actively and publicly developed and produced a movie it had no right to make, and then, at a maximum moment of leverage, sandbagged its rival with a lawsuit. And yet, according to a Fox source, studio lawyers contacted Warner Bros. about the distribution rights issue several times prior to the start of production but were rebuffed.
Need some evidence? Uncivil Society has posted the source documents for the original Fox complaint against Warner Bros.
While Fox claims that they gave Warner Bros. a heads up on Watchmen long before production began, the source documents did not arrive until Watchmen was deep into production.
I guess we can conclude three possible things:
1. Fox is lying or has played up their initial complaints in their defense.
2.
Warner Bros. has a bunch of assholes who just didn't care in their legal department
3. Warner Bros. analyzed the (at best) vocal claim by Fox, and concluded that it had absolutely no grounding
The third option seems the likely story, as Warner Bros. is sticking to their guns and claiming that Fox doesn't know what they are talking about. Fox then rewatched their adaptation of Eragon and were forced to agree with them...
Likely settlement? Warner Bros. is still expecting to win this case, but Fox's weak summer will push the studio like a starved lion. Expect some cash to transfer hands before Watchmen hits theaters.
Fox's note to self: Have some evidence (*cough* source documents) that are dated BEFORE production next time.
Watchmen hits theaters on March 6th, 2009.
For the poster, trailers, pictures and more info on the film, go to the Watchmen
Movie Page.
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