With word coming down that Fox and Warner Brothers have jointly agreed to forgo a full trial over Fox's request for an injunction to delay the release of the film and abide by the sole ruling of the judge presiding over the matter - and before you start crying about how evil Fox are being bear in mind that it was Warner Brothers who made a film that they did not actually hold full legal right to and that court documents show Fox notified them about the rights issue long before things came to this point - many fans are, no doubt, working themselves into a frenzy of worry and despair leading in to the January 20th ruling date. And if you want a little something more to make you feel horrible about what you may have to wait a whole lot longer for, how about this: The new Japanese trailer for the picture, loaded up with a good amount of fresh footage. You'll find it below the break.
Now there's a first. I usually hate the way that Japanese trailers are edited, but this one actually makes the film look much better (not to mention more highbrow) than the most recent US trailer did.
This looks better and better all the time.
It's Fox's timing that people have a problem with. It's not like this movie came out of nowhere. If they were really concerned about it, they would have filed an injunction before production began, but no, they want to ride its coat-tails since Fox hasn't had a real hit in a couple years and now they have one for free. They might be right, they might have a case, but they're still douchebags.
Giant squid or not this looks awesome. Everything you see in the trailers is pretty much the Graphic Novel frame for frame. Should be a hell of a ride and plus it's on IMAX. I hope Fox and WB will settle this soon. Those who didn't read the book will be surprised, not like WANTED where those who DID read the comics were the one given the WTF. Still, Wanted was a cool movie but if it had been a real adaptation of the comics rather than a "based on" thing it would have been an absolute blast!!!
My pants feel funny now.
Sorry, perhaps I was a bit unclear. I completely agree that they hold certain rights and that Warner messed up by not clearing up the rights issues beforehand. But that certainly does not mean that Fox is not acting like a douchebag looter from Atlas Shrugged.
So now Nixon is a main character?!? Adding crap not necessary just dilutes Moore's perfect story. Just like the whole wife/senate side plot in 300. ugh, Snyder is going to ruin this..
Agent Wax, I don't believe that Fox now or at any point has ever intended to stop Warners from releasing the film. Good or bad, Fox is looking to make their money off of this after allowing Warners to spend the money actually making it and delaying the release in no way helps them do that. My hunch is that they expected Warners to quietly offer up a percentage settlement when they originally pointed out the rights violation and it's only now that Warner has ignored more polite reminders that they're threatening to block release. Stopping the release makes Fox nothing, they don't for a single moment want this film locked in a vault, they want it out there making money for them. This is a negotiating tactic, they need Warners to realize how screwed they are so that they'll settle the matter since Warners obviously has no intention of doing so of their own free will.
wwwoooowwwwww
Todd: Yes, precisely. I agree completely that Fox gains nothing from demanding that Warner destroy the film. But that is the point that completely makes Fox looks douchebaggy: To get a profit for doing zero actual work in making the film. Of course, it was Warner who put themselves into the situation in the first place by dropping the soap and bending over to pick it up. Fox is admittedly just being its licentious self, but it's not exactly an admirable trait they're displaying.
I kind of get where you're coming from but, honestly, I don't think I'd behave any differently. Warners are essentially squatters here. They just went ahead and set up on property that they didn't own. When told, "No, you can't do that," they just ignored the warning and kept going. Warners is so clearly wrong and a settlement so clearly inevitable that I honestly think Fox didn't expect them to try and push through to release without resolving things first.
To work the squatter imagery more, if I own a property it is entirely up to me to decide what to do with it. If I don't see a dvelopement plan that I personally am sold on, then I don't have to do anything. I can continue to sit on that property as an investment as long as I want until I either DO have a development plan I like or choose to sell the property off at a profit. It's mine to do with as I please. The risk of it becoming devalued and worthless is mine and the chance to make profits based on it is also mine. And if someone else starts developing on my property you can be damn sure I'm going to take a slice of it.
I think Warners are being the douches here, not Fox. They should have settled the instant they knew there was a rights issue. What have they done instead? Come out publicly arguing that the judge should ignore copyright law and who actually owns the property because they've been working on it. If I were Fox and the judge actually went along with that, I'd turn around and develop my next five to ten projects based on properties that Warners owns and has been sitting on and rub their faces in it when they cry about it.
But it's all moot anyway. The injunction tactic worked and a settlement is in the works.
I see what you mean, Todd, and yes, you're absolutely correct. Warner IS a douchebag for making a film they don't own the full rights to. It's just that I'd have some actual respect for Fox and their stand if they'd demanded the film be buried and then shoot their own movie with their own script, cast, and crew. Neither party will come out of this one smelling of roses, sadly.