The two litigants in the fight over rights to the Watchmen film, Fox and Warner Bros., have agreed to let a judge decide whether Fox is entitled to an injunction blocking release of the film, instead of going to a jury trial.  The hearing is currently schedule to begin on January 20th, unless the judge grants Warners’ request to move the hearing to an earlier date. 

In addition to the agreement that the judge can decide the case, the two have agreed that neither will oppose requests to expedite an appeal. 

The judge ruled in December that Fox had a copyright interest in the property (see “Watchmen Judge Rules in Fox’s Favor”), although Warners vowed to release the film (see “Warners Vows To Release Watchmen”).