Not sure if the Minutemen count as "heroes", but I heard that a Watchmen movie is being made.Don't know release date yet.

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What the f**k have you done lately?
Wesley Gibson-Wanted

http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/

Looks like it may be pretty close to the books as far as visuals. Not much on who, what, or why as far as content. Should be interesting.

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"Too Soon from the Cave, Too Far from the Stars"

Here's an update from FirstShowing.net, sounds like leqal problems:

Warner Bros' Watchmen in Serious Legal Trouble!
August 18, 2008
Source: Deadline Hollywood
by Alex Billington

Back in February we posted an article titled Fox Suing Warner Brothers Over Watchmen Movie that outlined a legal case that 20th Century Fox was fighting against Warner Brothers for the rights to the Watchmen movie. At the time it didn't create too much buzz because back in February, I was one of the only ones who had visited the set and knew what we'd be seeing in that amazing teaser trailer later on. However, Nikki Finke of Deadline Hollywood has an update today and it's not good, not good at all. "A federal judge has denied a Warner Bros motion to dismiss 20th Century Fox's legal battle over the rights to develop, produce and distribute a film based on the graphic novel Watchmen." Apparently WB is in some serious legal trouble if this doesn't get straighted out, but details are a bit hazy at the moment.

Finke says that a 20th Century Fox rep told her that U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess refused to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Fox. The legal details of this whole case are a bit complicated, so we'll do our best to simplify them. Fox claims that between 1986 and 1990, they acquired all movie rights to the 12-issue DC Comics series and screenplays by Charles McKeown and Sam Hamm. However, in 1991, they sold some rights to Largo International with the understanding that they still held exclusive rights to distribute the first movie. Largo shut down sometime around 1994 and the rights were thus transfered to producer Lawrence Gordon. Fox claims that under a separate agreement between Fox and Gordon, he would pay a "buy-out price" to Fox if he was contracted by another studio to develop Watchmen. And now the movie is being made and they claim they never got their buy-out amount and should be involved.

And here's what the judge had to say on the situation. "In essence, the Judge appears to conclude that Fox retained distribution rights in Watchmen through the 1991 Largo quit claim, and he concludes that, under the 1994 turnaround, producer Larry Gordon acquired an option to acquire Fox's remaining interest in Watchmen that was never exercised, thereby leaving Fox with its rights under the 1994 agreement." Apparently the court is still contemplating Fox's motion for an injunction, which means that if they get it, Warner Bros will essentially be forced to give up all rights to Fox and they'll in turn to distribute the movie. The Fox rep also adds that "while the Judge's opinion is preliminary and his views could change in the course of the litigation, his current take on the facts is consistent with our position."

Are you f'ing kidding me? If this happens and Fox does end up with the rights, I will be the first to boycott the movie. I love Zack Snyder, but Fox needs to know when to step back and stop whining. They had over 20 years to make the Watchmen movie and didn't and I'm sorry that the smarter guys ended up figuring out how to make it successfully. Everything Warner Brothers has done for this movie so far has been wonderful and they deserve to market and distribute the movie, hands down. I'm trying not to get too enraged by this news, because we're waiting for more developments and details, but I just can't help it. I expect Warner Brothers to pay some high price for Fox to step down, but we'll never hear about that publicly and I hope we don't feel the effects of it (in a marketing budget that gets cut, etc). I truly wish Warner Bros' legal department the best of luck. Stay tuned for more updates!

Here's and update on the Watchmen legal brouhaha, courtesy of SCI FI Wire:
12:00 AM, 02-SEPTEMBER-08

The legal battle between Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox over Warner's upcoming superhero movie Watchmen is heating up, according to a report in The New York Times.

Lawyers for Warner and for Fox have laid plans for a fight in a joint report submitted to the federal court in New York last week, the newspaper reported. At issue is Fox's claim that it still holds rights to the film's original graphic novel, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Fox has said it will seek an injunction blocking Warner's planned March release of the film. Warner has argued that Fox should not be allowed to stop the movie after standing by while Warner and its partners on the film, Paramount Pictures and Legendary Pictures, spent more than $100 million on the production, directed by Zack Snyder.

In a summary of its position, Warner said Fox "sat silently" as one of the producers, Lawrence Gordon, took the project "to studio after studio with Fox's express knowledge."

Fox claimed in its own filings that Gordon did not keep the studio apprised of his plans, as required by a 1994 agreement.

This is very dirty pool on FOX's part. IF they truly have the rights then Warner is in the wrong and that is a fact. But letting them dump all the money, time and materials, etc, into the film to the tune of 100 million looks to be just a plain attempt at being cruel.

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"Too Soon from the Cave, Too Far from the Stars"

A brief update this morning via SCI FI Wire:

A Los Angeles federal judge has set a Jan. 6, 2009, trial date for 20th Century Fox's lawsuit over Warner Brothers' right to make a film based on the graphic novel Watchmen, Variety reported.

Judge Gary Allen Feess set the date during a meeting between attorneys, setting the stage for discovery and deposition proceedings during the rest of this year.

Warner has not backed off March 6 as the opening for Watchmen, directed by Zack Snyder and starring Patrick Wilson and Jackie Earle Haley.

Two weeks ago, Feess denied Warner's motion to dismiss the suit, which alleges that Fox retained distribution rights to the graphic novel through a 1991 claim.

[Cybermonk/ Engage state the obvious mode]

This'll all end up with a settlement for an "undisclosed amount" and a Fox logo appearing after the Warner logo before the title screen. They aren't looking to kill it. They just want to make some lemonade from their stupid decision to pass on making this film themselves.

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"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
--PKD

Yep. Unless I see something earth-shattering, it'll be another "nothing to see here, move along" kinda' story.

Here's the updated trailer that aired on Spike TV's Scream Awards:

Trailer here

Here is the second theatrical trailer for Watchmen:

Trailer here

For those out of our region, the trailer is also on FirstShowing.net