WB Wants 'Watchmen' Hearing Pushed Up

Because "time is critical," Warner Bros is asking a judge to move up a hearing over distribution rights to "Watchmen" to as early as Monday, writes The Hollywood Reporter. Fox and Warner Bros. had agreed to let a judge decide on Jan. 20 whether to issue an injunction against the comic book blockbuster scheduled for release on March 6. Warners must soon decide if it should risk tens of millions of dollars in marketing for a film it may be unable to release because of the challenge by Fox. The two parties have been sparring over a Christmas Eve preliminary ruling that Fox has a right to distribute the film, an adaptation of a popular graphic novel. The court must now determine if that decision means Fox can stop the film's release, or if the parties should have a trial over money damages.