After persevering through decades of development hell and
withstanding the protestations of hordes of naysayers (including author Alan
Moore), the long-awaited film adaptation of Watchmen may be on the verge of pulling
up lame mere inches before the finish line, thanks to a recent ruling by federal
Judge Gary Allen Feess. In a move that shocked Hollywood, Feess denied a motion by Warner
Bros., the studio backing director Zack Snyder's upcoming comic book flick, to
dismiss a lawsuit brought on by 20th Century Fox. It seems that Fox, who tried
and failed to get the project off the ground before Warners, may still own the
rights to the property. Since the legal proceedings are just beginning, it
could take months to sort out the matter.
Most cynical observers would rightly assume that
Fox is merely angling to get a piece of the pie on what could be an extremely
profitable endeavor, but the following quote from Variety should send
chills down the spine of any self-respecting fanboy:
"Surprisingly, Fox
said it would rather see the film killed instead of collecting a percentage of
the box office."
Wow -- some mighty vindictive folks over in Fox-land. Either that, or someone there really likes Alan Moore.