Nerds can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Warner Bros’ soon-to-be blockbuster “Watchmen” looks like it will be coming out on its intended release date of March 6. A recent ruling deemed that Fox was the owner of the rights to the film, even though Warner Bros is finishing production on their own movie now.
Neither studio was willing to risk walking away empty handed, so a settlement has been made between Warner Bros and Fox, allowing both film studios to profit. Fox claims to have owned the rights to the film, and that Warner Bros did not have them transferred. Warner Brothers claimed that they were made the same offer, and Fox has been sitting on the rights with no intention of using them.
Both sides have their points, but when Judge Gary Feess ruled in favor of Fox, it put both sides into a standstill. With Warner Bros unable to release the movie, and Fox wanting to profit, they approached the judge and announced a settlement.
The terms were not disclosed, but Warner looks to be paying Fox outright, as well as giving them a percentage of the box office take. No word on whether this will also influence DVD sales.
The both companies released a statement saying “Warner Bros. and Fox, like all ‘Watchmen’ fans, look forward with great anticipation to this film’s March 6 release in theaters”.
It looks like in Hollywood, there is no problem that a little cash and profit sharing can’t fix.
The Watchmen will be simultaneously released in both standard format and in IMAX, and is shaping up to be one of the biggest releases of the year.
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