Audio Video News

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.

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