Warner's Watchmen Simultaneous DVD

Breaking out of the typical Hollywood timeline, Warner Bros. is planning a new approach with Watchmen. The theatrical release of this take of a graphic novel is scheduled for March. However, instead of waiting months for the DVD release, Warner is doing something completely different.

Smile_2 Watchmen is directed by Zach Snyder, known for his big-screen rendition of 300. Five days after Watchmen hits theaters, a second film also directed by Snyder (working title is Tales of the Black Freighter) will be released exclusively on DVD. The plot of the DVD is a side story line from the main film. The DVD will also contain another film that takes a deeper look, documentary-style, into the back stories of the main characters.

Warner Bros. is hoping this move will boost sales of DVDs. Oddly enough, DVD sales are falling, as video-on-demand gains ground. Previously, DVD sales accounted for up to 70 percent of a film's revenue. Never looking too far away from the bottom line, it's easy to see the appeal. Warner will get the movie sales from Watchmen, followed a few days later by the DVD sales of Tales. A few months down the line comes the DVD of Watchmen, and you can bet that a combined collector's edition with both will be on shelves too.

Grab some popcorn, sit back, and see what happens with Warner's Watchmen.- Leslie Shapiro

Images courtesy of Warner Bros.

Via The New York Times

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