As the internet continues to observe the "Watchmen" legal hearings, it seems like the latest accounts are transitioning from the heavy, need-a-law-degree-to-understand type of status reports to...well, just plain odd.
Earlier, The New York Times published a feature on the ongoing feud between Warner Bros. and Fox, and uncovered a very interesting piece to the puzzle. According to the Times, at the heart of the dispute is 72-year-old veteran producer Lawrence Gordon (with credits like "Die Hard" and "Hellboy" to his name), who was initially involved with bringing "Watchmen" to life at Fox in the late 1980's.
While the article goes into detail about Gordon, the long journey of the property from comic book to highly-anticipated film, and pinpoints how the rights to "Watchmen" found their way from Fox to Warners, there is one telling quote from the feature that beautifully sums up the legal aspects of the Hollywood machine.
"Most pictures are made because somebody else wants to make them,” the article quotes Gordon as saying from a 1979 issue of "Screen International. “As a producer, the only club you have is to have something that somebody else wants."
While The Times makes a strong case that Gordon is the one responsible for the legal nightmare "Watchmen" faces, over at Rich Johnston's "Lying in the Gutters" comic rumors column, he reports that unnamed sources have informed him that the fight centers around the rights to another comic book-based property -- that being the rights to distribute the classic 1960's "Batman" TV series; a property that fanboys have long desired to be released on DVD. For years now, "Batman" has been tied up in its own, seemingly-unending legal nightmare, with Fox owning the rights to the television episodes, and Warners holding the rights to the characters and trademarks. Johnston reports that the 1960's "Batman" TV rights are the main focus as to why Fox started the "Watchmen" dust-up in the first place, and although this is all just unconfirmed rumors for now, Johnston usually has a knack for calling these types of things well in advance before they are officially confirmed.
Stay tuned to MTV Splash Page for more on the "Watchmen" case as developments unfold.
Some interesting elements to an already fascinating story, but which is true? Does a veteran producer need to do some serious apologizing for his role in this mess, or do you think Fox simply wants to (finally) release a "Batman" TV DVD? Lots to talk about -- let's get those comments going!