WARNER BROTHERS - WARNER BROS. ASKS FOR QUICK DECISION OF WATCHMEN

WARNER BROS. ASKS FOR QUICK DECISION OF WATCHMEN

Calling the situation "critical," Warner Brothers is asking a federal judge to hold a hearing as early as Monday on whether Fox will be able to block it from releasing Watchmen on March 6, as scheduled. Earlier, the two studios had agreed to let U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess decide the matter on January 20. In a court filing, Warner Bros. claims that it has spent more than $150 million to make and market the movie and that its marketing material had emphasized the March 6 premiere. Should it be barred from doing so, it said, it would suffer grave damage -- and so would the movie's exhibitors.

08/01/2009