Warner uses ‘Watchmen’ to sell DVDs

DVD sales fell 3.2% last year and Warner Bros. is scared they might go down even further. Brainstorming for new ideas, the studio thought of their new $100 million project ‘Watchmen’ — director Zack Snyder (’300′) originally wanted $150 million, but Warner asked him to pretty please keep the costs below $100 million. A side story to the comic book movie ‘Watchmen’ will be released on DVD, 5 days after ‘Watchmen’ hits the theaters. Kind of like a cross-promotion, since the DVD shelf space will sell tickets and the other way around.

It also gives Snyder the possibility to release three DVDs. The first will be the side story, called ‘Tales of the Black Freighter.’ The ‘Watchmen’ DVD will follow four months later. And lastly, he plans to make an ‘ultimate’ DVD, combining the two into one film. “The überfans of this property are going to go crazy for that,” Snyder said. He’s also scared he will lose some precious moments of ‘Watchmen’ before the final cut, which would create some extra material for the ‘ultimate edition.’ “The main picture is nearing three hours long and I know I have a fight on my hands just with that.“

‘Watchmen’ will be in theaters March 6, 2009.