Watchmen was the only thing anyone was talking about at Comic Con this year. Kevin Smith told the director of the film Zack Snyder at a standing room only panel,"The whole reason we ever had a Comic Con was that someone would make a Watchmen movie. I feel like after I see it I can die!"

It's due to be released in March (3/6/09 to be exact...snort). Now, 20th Century Fox says it owns the rights but Warner Bros is the one making the film. A federal judge Gary A. Feess ruled that Fox may have a case. Let the litigation begin.

As we reported from Comic Con, writer Alan Moore has taken his name off Watchmen project. He's had a series of bad experiences in Hollywood with his other graphic novels being made into lukewarm films (i.e. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and V for Vendetta). Now he'll have another seedy dark tale of epic proportions. Ahem.

Now the NYTimes reports:

According to Fox's lawsuit, however, Warner, in acquiring rights through the producer Lawrence Gordon, failed to acquire certain rights already owned by Fox, including the right to distribute any picture made by Mr. Gordon's company.

The case, originally filed in February, echoes an earlier court fight that was resolved in 2005 when Warner agreed to pay the producer Robert B. Clark at least $17.5 million to settle claims that it had infringed his rights by making the "The Dukes of Hazzard" film with Johnny Knoxville.

The settlement came after Judge Feess, who presided in that case as well, issued a preliminary injunction that would have blocked the film's release.

Not to negate the nail-biter that surely was the Dukes of Hazzard release but if Watchmen is delayed...expect a riot. A nerd riot. A sweaty swarm of nerds billowing toward you...like Comic Con with an attention span.