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You can catch the rest of the photos at DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com.Â

About the movie/story:Â Â
Watchmen is a superhero-conspiracy story that depicted the deconstuction of the superhero archetypes. It is an alternate history of the US where costumed “heroes” are real and the country is inching closer to nuclear war with the Soviet Union (now called Russia). The time frame closely mirrors the US during the 1980s. The primary difference is the existence of superheroes.Â

Their presence in this history has altered the outcomes of real-world events such as the Vietnam War and presidency of Richard Nixon. Although those that comprise the Watchmen are commonly called “superheroes”, the only character in the cast who possesses actual superhuman powers is <b>Doctor Manhattan </b> (however Ozymandias is said to possess “peak human” abilities as seen when he catches a bullet). In the comic, they refer to themselves as “costumed adventurers”, “costumed heroes” or—less frequently—”masked vigilantes.”

Throughout the story, the <b>Doomsday Clock</b> is shown gradually ticking towards 12:00 midnight. Watchmen tells the story of a group of past and present heroes and superheroes and the events surrounding the costumed hero Rorschach (the guy with the changing mask), a vigilante due to most masked heroes having been retired or outlawed.

While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy to eliminate all masked heroes – retired or otherwise. The story depicts it’s “heroes” as real people who must confront ethical and personal issues, who struggle with neuroses and failings, and who—with one notable exception—lack anything immediately recognizable as accepted super powers. Allen Moore’s deconstruction of the conventional superhero archetype, combined with its innovative adaptation of cinematic techniques and heavy use of symbolism, multi-layered dialogue, and metafiction, has strongly influenced both comics and film.

I cannot wait for this film to hit the screen! Be sure to buy the book
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Federal Judge Gary Allen Feess ruled against Warner Bros. on Monday in a lawsuit brought by Fox to stop the release of Warner’s Watchmen film, due out next March. Feess refused to dismiss the case, and ordered the parties to proceed with discovery and prepare for trial on an expedited schedule. The tangled case goes back to the late 80s, when Fox obtained an option to produce a film based on the graphic novel.Â

Warner Bros. issued a statement commenting on the ruling. “The court’s ruling simply means that the parties will engage in discovery and proceed with the litigation,” the statement said.  “The judge did not opine at all on the merits, other than to conclude that Fox satisfied the pleading requirements. We respectfully disagree with Fox’s position and do not believe they have any rights in and to this project.”

Fox also released a statement, specifying its goals. “We will be asking the Court to enforce Fox’s copyright interests in The Watchmen (sic) and enjoin the release of the Warner Brothers film….”

Some are comparing the case to a dispute over Dukes of Hazzard involving Warner Bros., heard by the same judge, in which Warner ended up paying a major amount of money (variously described as tens of millions of dollars or $17.5 million) in conjunction with the settlement of the rights dispute.Â