The New York Times has posted an update on the Watchmen related legal battle between Fox and Warner Bros. and some details that are sure to raise some fanboy eyebrows. Plans for the trial between the two studios were submitted on Friday, August 29 and the timelines put forth could possibly hamper the March release date set for the comic adaptation.
Most important details show that could begin as early as next June, if Fox has its way, or April, if Warner prevails. Why does this matter?
Well, Fox is seeking an injunction blocking Warner’s planned release of the film next March. Personally I think this won’t happen and the film will be released as planned, but I am sure stipulations on the earnings from the film will be targeted. However, while I see the release date for the film itself being unaffected I can’t help but believe we will finally see a difference in DVD/Blu-ray release dates. Sure, simple numbers can be placed on a theatrical release, but considering this isn’t a Warner-only release (Paramount Pictures and Legendary Pictures aided the $100 million production) those elaborate DVD plans will likely be postponed until the details are sorted out.
It seems the whole thing is boiling down to a matter of “he said, she said” with the word of one Watchmen producer, Lawrence Gordon, at the center of it all. Warner said Fox “sat silently” as Gordon, took the project “to studio after studio with Fox’s express knowledge.” Fox says nuh uh to such a notion. While Fox was paid $320,000 by one of Gordon’s companies in 1991 for rights to the project to revert back to his hands, Fox has said that agreement was superseded by a later deal, under which Gordon was supposed to deliver a much larger buyout price that has never been paid.
The “Times” says it may become extremely tricky as not only Warner Bros. and Fox, but Legendary, Paramount, Gordon and even Universal Pictures (who tried to make a version of the film in 2001) may be brought into the fray.
My assumptions above are guesses only, but considering the potential amount of money this thing holds it could get dicey. Considering I don’t believe the release date will be shifted I can only imagine what a massive opening weekend will do for this trial as everyone ever involved with the project may come out of the woodwork trying to get their hands in the cookie jar. Yeah, now that I think about it, we may not see that massive DVD folks have been talking about for a long time… but what do I know?
