We have an update on the Fox vs. Warner Brothers lawsuit over the Watchmen film. Fox filed their initial complaint back in February. Warner Brothers filed a brief on Friday claiming that Fox “sat silently” while producer Lawrence Gordon shopped Watchmen around to studios with Fox’s knowledge. Warner claims that Gordon actually pitched the project to Fox in 2005, but they passed. In fact, Warner also claims that one of Gordon’s companies paid Fox $320,000 for the rights to the film back in 1991. Fox claims that the 1991 was superseded by a later 1994 buyout deal for a larger sum that was never acted upon.

At this point, it’s going to court. I seriously doubt Fox will settle for just a big bag of money. If Warner Brothers gets its way, the trial will be set for April. They had planned on releasing the movie in March, but at least settling things in April will give them time to unleash Watchmen during the summer. If Fox gets its way, the trial will be set for June. A Fall release for Watchmen wouldn’t suck, but it probably wouldn’t hit as hard as it would for a summer release. There’s yet an additional wrinkle. Gordon shopped Watchmen around to Paramount, Legendary, and Universal. With them named in the Warner filing, they could be drawn into this whole mess.

Ugh. More as it develops.

[Via New York Times]

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I don’t normally post teh memes, but Greg tagged me so I thought I’d give it a shot. This should demonstrate just how afraid I am of books without pictures. If you want to play, just write the ones that apply to you in the comments.

From Box Office Mojo’s list of Top 48 Sci-Fi Films Based on a Book (or Story) (1980- present).

Here are the rules.

- Copy the list below.
- Mark in bold the movie titles for which you read the book.
- Italicize the movie titles for which you started the book but didn’t finish it.
- Tag 5 people to perpetuate the meme. (You may of course play along anyway.)

And now, the list…

1. Jurassic Park
2. War of the Worlds
3. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
4. I, Robot
5. Contact
6. Congo
7. Cocoon
8. The Stepford Wives
9. The Time Machine
10. Starship Troopers
11. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
12. K-PAX
13. 2010
14. The Running Man
15. Sphere
16. The Mothman Prophecies
17. Dreamcatcher
18. Blade Runner(Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)
19. Dune
20. The Island of Dr. Moreau
21. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
22. The Iron Giant(The Iron Man)
23. Battlefield Earth
24. The Incredible Shrinking Woman
25. Fire in the Sky
26. Altered States
27. Timeline
28. The Postman
29. Freejack(Immortality, Inc.)
30. Solaris
31. Memoirs of an Invisible Man
32. The Thing(Who Goes There?)
33. The Thirteenth Floor
34. Lifeforce(Space Vampires)
35. Deadly Friend
36. The Puppet Masters
37. 1984
38. A Scanner Darkly
39. Creator
40. Monkey Shines
41. Solo(Weapon)
42. The Handmaid’s Tale
43. Communion
44. Carnosaur
45. From Beyond
46. Nightflyers
47. Watchers
48. Body Snatchers

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And now from our Alan Moore may just get his wish department, a judge is allowing 20th Century Fox to sue Warner Brothers over the right to make a Watchmen movie denying WB’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. If the lawsuit is successful, Fox could win rights to any profits made from the film. But they’re not interested in money. No. Fox wants to kill the movie:

Warner Bros.’ production and anticipated release of “The Watchmen” motion picture violates 20th Century Fox’s long-standing motion picture rights in “The Watchmen” property. We will be asking the court to enforce Fox’s copyright interests in “The Watchmen” and enjoin the release of the Warner Bros. film and any related “Watchmen” media that violate our copyright interests in that property.

Ouch!

You might think that being a DC Comics property, Warner Brothers would have every right to make a movie based on Watchmen. At least that’s what I thought. Turns out that Fox held the rights to distribute the Watchmen graphic novel through a 1991 claim. There was an option to buy back Fox’s interest in Watchmen back in 1994, but since it was never exercised the rights remain the property of Fox.

So this is a pretty solid kick in the wang. Fox must have a solid enough case for the judge to the case. I’m guessing production will continue until they’re told to stop. But I’m sure this thing is going to get messy and push the release date back some. Ugh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to sell rights to our shits!

[Via Variety from Occasional Superheroine]

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Angry Zen Minion Partick Vick sent along some more concept art from that new Halo movie pitch. Look at all the kiddie Spartans playing on the obstacle course! Not depicted is the cafeteria where they can’t have any pudding if they don’t eat their meat.

Latino Review has a higher res version of the pic. Apparently, M$ served them with a cease and desist which they promptly ignored since this is concept art for a pitch and not an actual movie. Not sure how long it will be up so you may want to snag soon.

[Via Latino Review]

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Image via Butter Boom

AZM Ally Mike Dent sent along this concept art for Gatchaman’s Science Ninja Team. I really like the redesigns, especially Jinpei’s. I’m a huge fan of that red and orange/yellow color scheme. And I love how Ryu needs extra stomach armor to hold in his might. Awesome! It’s not a full CG shot, but if the models are based off of this concept, they’re going to look so shiny and awesome!

[Via Butter Boom]

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The latest round of Star Trek 2009 posters are less recognizable than the first. I had no problem recognizing Spock, Kirk, Ohura, and random evil Romulan guy. Thankfully, the interwebs tell all. That’s John Cho as Sulu, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as McCoy, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. Urban’s expression reads “Get that fucking camera out of my face” which is actually spot on for McCoy. Simon Pegg as Scotty just makes me laugh. I would love to see how he plays it. I won’t complain about a Korean cast as a Japanese because I’m happy to see John Cho get more work. And I have no idea who Anton Yelchin is.

I think you either get really excited about cast photos or don’t care. I’m kind of in the don’t care crowd, at least for this movie. Sure, the posters look pretty and I like the retro feel of them. But I think I’ll have to see some trailers and a little more about the story before I make up my mind.

What do you Trekkies out there think? And please, let’s not get into the whole Trekkie vs. Trekker thing.

[Via TrekMovie.com]

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We’ve got more Gatchaman pics! Here we see the Science Ninja Team heading off to be awesome. If you head on over to Felix Ip’s blog you also get a peak at Jun’s yoyo and an early version of the Phoenix.

I definitely like the lighting and the color palette of these shots. The art direction is quite good. Yeah, I think I’ll actually watch this in the theater.

[Via Felix Ip]

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Angry Zen Minion Devin Wolfe writes in with word that the director of the Pirates movies, Gore Verbinski, will produce and direct the movie adaptation of Bioshock. This will be Verbinski’s first time in the producer’s seat.

While seeing a live action Big Daddy with a creepy little girl running along side him (little kids in horror movies scare the shit out of me) is almost crunchy pants inducing in and of itself, there’s the great video game curse to worry about. Certainly Bioshock has a much deeper story than Mortal Kombat or Dead or Alive or Street Fighter and would probably lend itself very well to the big screen. Playing through the game is almost like playing through a sick and twisted steam punk horror film anyway. But the biggest danger balancing good story telling and fan expectation.

If you aim only for the video game fan base, you’re going to lose other audiences. Aim to tell a good story, everyone wins.

I kind of want to see a creepy Big Daddy on screen lumbering around Rapture. Take Two is working on a sequel for release some time in 2009. The movie is scheduled for 2010.

So, does Bioshock work best as a creepy ass video game or could it make a decent transition to film?

[Via Variety]

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This is so cyoooot! When an alien menace lands on earth to destroy civilization as we know it, there’s only one thing that can save us.

Monsters!

Such a fun and quirky concept and the character designs are so damn cute! Featuring the voice talent of Seth Rogen as B.O.B., Reese Witherspoon as Ginormica, Kiefer Sutherland as General W.R. Monger, Rainn Wilson as Gallaxhar, Paul Rudd as Derek, Hugh Laurie as Dr. Cockroach Ph.D., Will Arnett as The Missing Link, and Stephen Colbert as the President of the United States, Monsters Vs. Aliens is scheduled for release on March 9, 2009 and I’m fucking going!

Not sure how long the leaked trailer will be online, but witness the cutie attack!

[Via Monsters Vs. Aliens]

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Angry Zen Minion Epoch9 writes in to report that the Halo movie is back on! Sorta.

The Halo movie that involved Peter Jackson, Weta, FOX, and Universal is no more. Dead, dead as a doornail. Dead as a grunt with a plazma sword through his scrawny little head. Dead as all the Arbiters that have fallen before you. Dead as the… you get the picture.

But like a Flood infected corpse, the Halo movie rises anew. Apparently, screenwriter Stuart Beattie has decided to take matters into his own hands and has written a spec script based on the novel Halo: Fall of Reach. My brother always told me that if I was going to read a Halo novel, it should be that one. Fall of Reach serves as sort of a prequel to the first game and explains the origins of the Spartan project and Master Chief.

Beattie is shopping out his script complete with concept art by Kasra Farahani (Latino Review has a higher res version of the above image) and has a presentation all set and ready for Microsoft.

Crossing fingers and hoping this comes to light and doesn’t fall to the game movie curse.

[Via Latino Review]

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