Watchmen Lawsuit

- Fox claims they have sole rights to produce and distribute Watchmen movieScreen Rant: Fox Wins Watchmen Lawsuit (December 25, 2008)
- Warner Bros. had already started film production by time lawsuit filed
- Had planned for 2009 release
- Warner Bros. appealed first judgment by Los Angeles judgeMTV.com 'Watchmen' Star Malin Akerman Comments On Lawsuit (January 8, 2009)
- U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess expected to deliver verdict on January 20, 2009MTV.com 'Watchmen' Star Malin Akerman Comments On Lawsuit (January 8, 2009)

20th Century Fox filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. over a film adaption of Watchmen. In the suit, Fox claims they own the sole rights to produce and distribute a film adaptation of the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' graphic novel, Watchmen. Warner Bros. had already shot the film, directed by 300's Zack Snyder and had scheduled a March 2009 release.
In December 2008, U.S. District Judge Gary Feess ruled that Fox had "at the very least, a distribution right" in the film since they originally acquired the rights to Watchmen in 1986. A trial to settle the copyright infringement dispute was scheduled for January 20, 2009. However, both studios have been participating in settlement talks and on January 9, 2009, the studios agreed that the settlement had been "productive." The negotiations continued into the following week and one studio executive called the talks "fruitful".Reuters UK: Watchmen Talks Proceed (January 14, 2009)
On January 14, 2009, The Hollywood Reporter reported the January 20 hearing had been canceled, speculating that a settlement may have been reached. If an agreement is reached, the film could be released in March 2009 as was originally scheduled.THR: Watchmen Hearing Canceled (January 14, 2009)
Quotes
"If the project had been sequestered at Fox, if Fox had any say in the matter, Watchmen simply wouldn't exist today, and there would be no film for Fox to lay claim on. It seems beyond cynical for the studio to claim ownership at this point."—Lloyd Levin, Watchmen producerE! Online: Watchmen Doomsday Clock Stops Amid Deal Talks
"We appreciate Mr. Levin's passion for this project, but he has neglected basic facts and legal rulings. There is no question of who is right and who is wrong. That has been decided through the litigation that we had hoped to avoid, and we refer interested parties to the court's ruling to confirm these statements."—Statement from FoxE! Online: Watchmen Doomsday Clock Stops Amid Deal Talks