Big hits, bitter battles: From 'Batman' & 'Lord of the Rings' to 'Watchmen'

By Patrick Kevin Day and Jevon Phillips

The venerable graphic novel "Watchmen" has finally been filmed after 20-something-odd years, and there are still problems getting it to the screen while Fox and Warner Bros. continue to squabble. And the Tolkien family may not have seen a dime from Hollywood from the stupendous success of the films his work inspired, but that's nothing new. As Rachel Abramowitz notes in her column, the "Lord of the Rings" movies have been the subject of tangling over disappearing profits recently.

These are not the only films to see unbridled success (or even future success for "Watchmen") turn into accusations. And the phenomenon isn't limited to the major studios either. Indie movies, including "Passion of the Christ" and "Crash," have been subject to lawsuits and charges of creative bookkeeping in hiding film profits.

We present a brief recap of Hollywood's biggest hits (and bitterest lawsuits).