Although Federal Judge J. Owen Forrester did not grant White Wolf a temporary restraining order against Sony Pictures, he did call for an expedited 30-day discovery period prior to a hearing on a preliminary injunction, and cautioned Sony Pictures against using 'big business' delaying tactics to drag out the whole process.  The ruling means that Sony will be able to open Underworld nationwide as planned on September 19, but the judge did not dismiss the case or act as if White Wolf and author Nancy Collins' case was without merit (see 'White Wolf & Nancy Collins Sue Sony').

While Sony will be able to open the film and profit from its theatrical run, if the court rules in White Wolf's favor and issues an injunction against Sony, it would prevent the studio from cashing in on potential licensing revenues as well as the increasingly lucrative DVD and video releases without first reaching some sort of settlement with White Wolf and Ms. Collins.