Judge Allows 20th Century Fox Lawsuit Against Warner Bros. Over "Watchmen" Film's Distribution Rights To Continue

Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - "Watchmen" will be unwatched, if 20th Century Fox gets its way. The studio has announced its bid to block the film's release after winning a court ruling Tuesday.

The comic book film adaptation is involved in a film studio tug-of-war. Fox claimed that they have the distributing rights of the movie, and not Warner Bros. A Los Angeles judge has agreed with Fox on Tuesday that there's enough evidence to go on with the case.

And instead of seeking a share of the movie's future gross, Fox is now seeking to quash the movie entirely before it releases in theaters on March 6.

According to its complaint, Fox has the distribution rights since 1991 when they teamed up with producer Larry Gordon to develop the graphic novel. The project was delayed and Gordon left, leaving the rights to Fox. However, the producer went back in 2006 and signed a deal with Warners to launch the film based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' comic book.

U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Fees said Warners failed to show that Gordon still had the rights to the project.

"Watchmen" is directed by Zack Snyder (from "300" fame) and stars Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino, Billy Crudup and Jackie Earle Haley as former superheroes who are reclassified as criminal vigilantes in an alternate universe circa 1985.