Watchmen Trial Delayed Two Weeks

The copyright trial for the upcoming movie, Watchmen, has been pushed back to January 20 after an L.A. judge declined to make a ruling, Variety reports.

The new trial date was determined on Monday. Judge Gary Allen Feess justified his decision by citing his obligations to a January 6 criminal matter. He further denied both sides' request to make a pre-trial summary because he believed their respective contracts were so vague that they require an actual hearing.

Both Fox and Warner Brothers claim to have distribution rights over the project, an adaptation of the lauded graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. Fox filed a lawsuit against Warner Brothers in February. The studio alleges that a 1991 claim maintains its control over the project, and that the unreleased film's producer, Larry Gordon, who once ran Fox, gave away rights he did not possess.

Warner Brothers insists that Fox has no claim to the copyright, and still plans to debut its film on March 6.