Watchmen "comic-inside-a-comic": 03/10/09, Watchmen ultimate ed. later

[Grubert]

Tales of the Black Freighter, the metafictional comic-book being read inside the Watchmen graphic novel, is being made as an animated feature, to be released direct to DVD five days after the theatrical opening of Watchmen. Watchmen and TotBF will probably be editer together later on a "megamovie" edition.

Warner Tries a New Tactic to Revive Its DVD Sales

LOS ANGELES — Retail’s love affair with the DVD is on the rocks and Warner Brothers Entertainment would like to patch things up.
Faced with a decline in DVD sales, Warner Brothers, part of Time Warner, is planning an unusual effort around its upcoming adaptation of the popular graphic novel “Watchmen”. Directed by Zack Snyder and set for a March 2009 release, the big-budget movie tells the story of a group of retired superheroes who are tied to a conspiracy that could change history.

The twist is that Mr. Snyder, known for turning the Spartan comic book series “300” into a global hit movie, is also directing a separate-but-related picture that Warner plans to distribute exclusively on DVD.

The second film, tentatively called “Tales of the Black Freighter,” follows a side “Watchmen” storyline about a shipwreck and will arrive in stores five days after the main movie rolls out in theaters. The DVD will also include a documentary-style film called “Under the Hood” that will delve into the characters’ backstories.

Source: New York Times