Will Watchmen Be Watched?
Dec. 17 2008, Published 12:27 p.m. ET
It's a studio's worst nightmare.
A movie that reportedly cost upwards of $150 million, with a March 6 release date, goes to trial on January 20 to see if it can be released.
That's the situation faced by Warner Brothers on the superhero epic Watchmen, the film by Zack Snyder (300) based on the top-selling graphic novel.
20th Century Fox is suing, claiming that they -- and not Warner Brothers -- own the movie rights to the property based on a 1994 agreement.
This isn't the first time the studios have butted heads over a superhero property. Warner Brothers owns the rights to Batman, Fox made the old Batman TV series, and their inability to come to terms is one reason the classic Adam West series has never been released on DVD.