AceShowbiz -

A glimmer of hope for "Watchmen" release has been lit up. In the latest update report related to the dispute between 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros., it has been said that on Friday, January 9, the attorneys for rival studios have told U.S. District Judge Gary Allen Feess that the settlement talks were in progress and thus, asked him to postpone the hearing for further discussions over the weekend.

Deeming the settlement discussions as "productive", Fox representative Lou Karasik told Feess that the delay would be "very, very helpful". New court documents revealed that both studios have conducted the settlement talks since last weekend, with concessions being made on both sides. Following the delay request, Feess agreed to push back the hearing to Monday, January 12. Still, he insisted that the trial date over the blocking of the film's March release is still set for January 20.

Earlier in the week, both Fox and Warner Bros. have come to an agreement to let Feess settle the dispute and decide whether Warner Bros. should be allowed to release the action fantasy movie as planned on March 6 or not. Warner Bros. had also been seeking to move up the January 20 trial to sometime next week, reasoning on "Watchmen" March 6 release and its marketing campaign. In addition, producer Lloyd Levin has written an open letter regarding the dispute.