20th Century Fox Suing Over Warner Bros. Watchmen

[SsM]

Hal?!?! Hahahaha! This is the WB we are talking about! More than likely it will be Kyle played by Shia Lebeouf.

I'm okay with it being Rayner... As for your other comment.. I chose to ignore that name.


I like him and all but not for GL. He's overexposed enough as it is.

 

[Docker2.0]

Hahaha! You think the WB wouldn't? They are trying to a degree to do the superhero thing the Marvel way with celebs...........but it would be celebs that noone likes or the ones we feel that are over exposed. Like...............Lebeouf, Alba(you think they wouldn't cast her now if she didn't apply for a superhero?)and the entire cast of the would have been Justice League movie. They are going for the "what's hip NOW" celebs instead of the ones with pedigree like the ones Marvel is going for............though I wish Marvel wouldn't. Dang it! Marvel is going to cast Mckidd as Thor who's only 6'0 tall instead of Skarsgard who is 6'4 and looks exactly like Thor does in the comics, plus dude can act! Bah! I'm not going to get off subject again but TDK has hurt superhero films more than it has helped. Bale wasn't exactly a unknown, neither was Eckhart or Ledger. With that success, along with the success of IronMan, WB will try to follow it up with celebs, not necessarily A-list but popular.

 

[Shifty]

From Hollywood Reporter

Fox, Warners 'close' to 'Watchmen' settlement
Companies met Monday to discuss possible deal

By Borys Kit

Jan 12, 2009, 10:03 PM ET

Warner Bros. and Fox are "close" to reaching a settlement regarding the "Watchmen" lawsuit, according to those familiar with the dealmaking.

A federal judge has ruled that Fox has distribution rights to the film, which is scheduled to be released by Warners on March 6. Talks between the two sides got serious during the weekend, and the parties met behind closed doors Monday in Los Angeles federal court to discuss details.

Neither Fox nor Warners would comment on the discussions, which continued for about 30 minutes in the chambers of Judge Gary Feess. Warners has not pressed its earlier request to move up the Jan. 20 injunction hearing, suggesting a settlement is near.

Also, the weekend saw a small but meaningful rollout of a "Watchmen" TV campaign, with spots airing on multiple networks, including on Fox's season premiere of "24."

 

[Hurm...]

From Hollywood Reporter

Wow, excellent news. Looks like we may actually see this on March 6th after all.


Nice find man, very relieving.

 

[TheVileOne]

I've been telling you guys for a year. They will settle.

All the crap about not settling is called LEGAL POSTURING.

 

[BlackLantern]

legal posturing....I call it a **** measuring contest

 

[FaT_tONle]

Let's just hope it doesn't end up being Fox getting 50%... hopefully just one big lump sum and be done with this.

 

[Shifty]

'Watchmen' hearing canceled
Settlement in the case could be near

By Borys Kit

Jan 13, 2009, 11:46 PM ET
A scheduled Tuesday court conference between Fox and Warner Bros. attorneys has been canceled, fueling talk that a settlement in the contentious "Watchmen" case is imminent.

Fox sued Warners last February, saying the Burbank-based studio infringed on its rights to make the comic book adaptation. In December, when federal judge Gary A. Feess ruled that Fox has distribution rights to the film, Warners faced the prospect of having the film's March 6 release blocked.

Settlement talks between the two sides became serious over the weekend and continued to heat up yesterday.

A settlement could cost Warners tens of millions of dollars. A case involving copyright ownership of Warners' "The Dukes of Hazzard," which Feess blocked from release in 2005, ended in a settlement worth a reported $17.5 million.

With "Watchmen," an adaptation of the Alan Moore graphic novel with a budget in the $130 million range, the financial stakes are higher. According to sources, Fox is asking for upfront fees as well as a percentage of the back-end.

And things aren't looking good for Larry Gordon...

Watchmen Settlement Nears
Battling studios seem to be getting along, but in the end who’s going to take the blame?

According to the L.A. Times, “those familiar with the deal making” currently underway between Fox and Warner Bros. have stated that the studios are “close” to reaching a settlement regarding the Watchmen lawsuit.

Recently, a federal judge ruled that Fox has distribution rights to the film, which is scheduled to be released by Warners on March 6.

Talks between the two parties got hot and heavy over the weekend, as the studios met behind closed doors Monday in Los Angeles federal court to discuss a settlement.

Nobody at Fox nor Warners would comment on these talks, which lasted 30 minutes in the chambers of Judge Gary Feess. Warners has also not pressed its earlier request to move up the Jan. 20 injunction hearing, which also seems to suggest that a settlement may be upon us.

Another good sign for a settlement being near was a report from New York Times blogger Michael Cieply who spotted Fox chairman Tom Rothman and Warner chief Alan Horn “smiling and back-patting” each other at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards.

Also, the weekend saw a small but meaningful rollout of a Watchmen TV campaign, with spots airing on multiple networks, including on Fox’s season premiere of 24. Hurm.

The court fight over Watchmen is costing Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, but the biggest loser of the ordeal may just end up being the film’s producer, Larry Gordon, his lawyers and their insurers, who could be on the hook for millions.

Court documents show that Warner Bros., which is likely to lose valuable rights to Watchmen after a Feess favorable ruling for Fox, is pursuing Gordon “for all damages Warner Bros. suffers as a result of Fox’s claims.”

It is not known if Gordon has initiated an insurance claim against the law firm that brokered his Watchmen deal with Warner Bros., but Gordon stated in a letter that the same lawyers may have made “a unilateral mistake” as part of an earlier deal involving the movie rights.

1.13.08 Source: L.A. Times, HollywoodReporter.com, The Carpetbagger

 

[dft-313]

if the ruling was for FOX, it would require them to pay a portion of the production and half of the distribution costs to validate their share.

 

[WeaponXProject]

Larry Gordan is gonna be broke and out of work....

 

[Nirvana]

Glad to see that a settlement is likely...

 

[Kane52630]

i knew there will be a settlement, all of this suing hoopblah is just to make Watchmen in the news
smart advertising by WB

 

[TheVileOne]

Oh, surely the precious, righteous, and beautiful angels at WB won't target Larry Gordon who helped make this film happen?!

Because everyone knows WB are right and perfect about everything!

 

[Shifty]

Oh, surely the precious, righteous, and beautiful angels at WB won't target Larry Gordon who helped make this film happen?!

Because everyone knows WB are right and perfect about everything!

Looks like he's the Rorschach in all this mess. After all the work and time involved in getting this movie released, he's the one who has to suffer even though he started it all.

 

[BlackLantern]

Looks like he's the Rorschach in all this mess. After all the work and time involved in getting this movie released, he's the one who has to suffer even though he started it all.

No, he's just the toolbox who forgot his contractual obligations....

 

[TheVileOne]

Karma from the Tomb Raider movies?

 

[BlackLantern]

Karma is a cold, cold ***** and you never know when she'll show up and set your **** on fire on your lawn

 

[Hunter Rider]

Oh, surely the precious, righteous, and beautiful angels at WB won't target Larry Gordon who helped make this film happen?!

Because everyone knows WB are right and perfect about everything!

This is hilarious, you have been bashing Fox for 5 years here and now, b/c it's the superior position to argue from, you have appointed yourself defender of Rothman and Fox's honour.

 

[Octoberist]

but usually, The Vile One tends to be passionate to carry out his points, as you've noticed. I think he still hates Fox but admits that they are in the right in this situation. That's my guess.

 

[TheVileOne]

Hunter Rider, don't get all whiney because I'm actually looking at this from the legal perspective.

I'm hardly defending Tom Rothman here. Also, none of this necessarily has anything to do with Rothman.

Hunter Rider, from the very beginning I knew that this would lead to a settlement. But everyone here acted like Fox was going to steal the movie and re-edit as an X3 piece of garbage. Which anyone if they just sat and looked at this would know -- that would never happen.

MGM and Goldmember. MGM and Spy Who Shagged Me. Despite all the legal wranglings and all the buzz quotes that get thrown around it all ends in a settlement outside of court.

And that's exactly what happens here.

The media reports all the worst case scenario ******** because that's what the media does. The media likes to work people up in a frenzy and make things even messier. And everyone here ate it up.

The simple fact of the matter is that Fox had a legitimate legal claim and quite frankly, I'm sorely annoyed by how everyone acts like WB has their backs and is so innocent in all of this. They are trying so desperately to make the best movie of all time and Fox is trying to kill it.

Yet this is the same WB that sued over a Bollywood movie because of a similar sounding name to HARRY POTTER. A movie no one in the US is going to freaking see, and a movie that IS NOT LIKE HARRY POTTER AT ALL!

Everyone attacked Fox over this, but no one here attacked WB for their own transgressions.

I will never forgive Fox for what they've done or the movie franchises they've ruined. Let me make that clear. Aliens, Predator, Dragon Ball, Fantastic Four, and X-men all sullied, ruined, gutted, and made filthy at the hands of Fox and their executives.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Hunter Rider, don't get all whiney because I'm actually looking at this from the legal perspective.

I'm hardly defending Tom Rothman here. Also, none of this necessarily has anything to do with Rothman.

Hunter Rider, from the very beginning I knew that this would lead to a settlement. But everyone here acted like Fox was going to steal the movie and re-edit as an X3 piece of garbage. Which anyone if they just sat and looked at this would know -- that would never happen.

MGM and Goldmember. MGM and Spy Who Shagged Me. Despite all the legal wranglings and all the buzz quotes that get thrown around it all ends in a settlement outside of court.

And that's exactly what happens here.

The media reports all the worst case scenario ******** because that's what the media does. The media likes to work people up in a frenzy and make things even messier. And everyone here ate it up.

The simple fact of the matter is that Fox had a legitimate legal claim and quite frankly, I'm sorely annoyed by how everyone acts like WB has their backs and is so innocent in all of this. They are trying so desperately to make the best movie of all time and Fox is trying to kill it.

Yet this is the same WB that sued over a Bollywood movie because of a similar sounding name to HARRY POTTER. A movie no one in the US is going to freaking see, and a movie that IS NOT LIKE HARRY POTTER AT ALL!

Everyone attacked Fox over this, but no one here attacked WB for their own transgressions.

I will never forgive Fox for what they've done or the movie franchises they've ruined. Let me make that clear. Aliens, Predator, Dragon Ball, Fantastic Four, and X-men all sullied, ruined, gutted, and made filthy at the hands of Fox and their executives.

I'm not whining, I don't give a rats ass about this situation as it's out of my hands, I just find your hypocrisy humorous.

 

[TheVileOne]

It's not hypocrisy that I understand legal procedure.

Fox ruining X-men 3 has nothing to do with legal procedure.

 

[TheVileOne]

It's not hypocrisy that I understand legal procedure.

Fox ruining X-men 3 has nothing to do with legal procedure.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I am fully aware of the legalities involved here, I am talking about you reveling in shoving the Fox position down the Watchmen fans throats despite having spent years bashing the studio, understanding it from a legal perspective and defending them like they were your kids are two totally different things.

 

[ANTOINE X]

I just want to say one thing about this fight. How can WB be so stupid to Pick a story and not check if there is a copyright? In this era of law suit, How can he be that #@*???. On the other hand I hope Fox forgive him for that stupidity cause this movie seems to be well executed.Honesly I have never red the book but because of the trailer I might.