Things are not looking good for Watchmen at year’s end. Christmas brought a surprise turn in the pending lawsuit, as the presiding Judge overseeing the trail, Gary Allen Feess, announced his finding that Fox does indeed own a part of the distribution rights for the movie adaptation of the bestselling graphic novel. Now, true to their word, Fox appears to be more intent on delaying the picture than making a profit from the movie.

Variety has given an update on what they are calling the “Watchmen war,” after lawyers from both sides met today with Judge Feess for a “status update.” What is that status? Well, it depends on who you ask. Warner Brothers says the movie is staying put on its March 6th release date. The studio spokesperson seems quite adamant that the court will find in their favor, proving that Fox does not have any rights in this case (contrary to what the judge has already found).

On the other side of the fence, you have the currently victorious Fox who have clearly stated their action plan: seeking an order to delay the release of Watchmen. Whether that order is being justified by a plan to reach a distribution agreement is unknown, albeit likely. I still can’t imagine the studio delaying a movie into infinity just for the sake of being spiteful.

If you ask me, Fox had better watch their backs when it comes to this kind of movement. March 6th is currently a safe date for the studio. If they convince the court to delay the movie, Warner Brothers could decide another release date might be more satisfactory. In fact, May 1st looks pretty good for Watchmen to land - right against Fox’s attempt at reviving the X-Men franchise. If they aren’t careful, they could wind up with their cash cow competing with the best selling graphic novel of all time, and wouldn’t that turn this into a real Watchmen war.