Zack Snyder is in post production on his big screen adaptation of Watchmen, and is currently sitting on a three-hour superhero movie.
“The main picture is nearing three hours long and I know I have a fight on my hands just with that,” Snyder told the New York Times.
And the eventual Ultimate Edition DVD version of the movie (think Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings extended editions on crack) will no doubt be over four and a half plus hours in length. More on that in a bit. Since a big screen adaptation of Watchmen was first announced, many fans of the original Alan Moore comic book mini-series wondered how Tales of the Black Freighter, the story-within-the-story, would be handled, if at all.
For those who don’t know, Black Freighter is a comic book within the Watchmen universe which chronicles “a castaway’s increasingly desperate attempts to return home to warn his family of the impending arrival of the Black Freighter, a phantom pirate ship which houses the souls of the damned.” In the comic book, Tales of the Black Freighter is read by a teenage boy while he sits beside a newsstand whose proprietor contemplates the latest headlines and discusses them with his customers (seen above, comic book to film comparison thanks to Maxim). According to Wikipedia, “This juxtaposition of text and images from the story within a story and its framing sequence uses the former to act as a parallel commentary to the latter-which is the plot of Watchmen itself.”
Back in February, Gerard Butler told Empire Magazine that he would be voicing the lead character in Black Freighter and that it will be animated in an anime style. I guess the original plan was to shoot the entire tie-in using a style similar to 300, employing green screens and computer generated locations. But the New York Times confirms that the budget was indeed too high (over $20 million), and that Warner Bros will be releasing a 100% animated Tale of the Black Freighter on DVD a mere five days after Watchmen hits theaters on March 6th 2008. How cool is that? Diane Nelson, president of Warner Premiere declined to say how much this animated feature would cost, but did reveal that it is budgeted for 30 percent to 50 percent higher than a typical direct-to-DVD effort. he DVD will also include a documentary-style film called “Under the Hood” that will delve into the characters’ backstories.
Since the film adaptation was first announced, I wondered if such an R-rated non-mainstream superhero movie could really make it’s money back at the box office. And while I’m not discounting the film’s eventual opening weekend just yet, its now becoming more clear that Warner Bros has a long tail plan. While it’s a cool idea to release Black Freighter alongside the theatrical release, truth is it’s Warner Bros plans to make you reach into your pocket four separate times. They expect fans will buy a ticket to opening night, buy the “Tales of the Black Freighter” direct-todvd animated movie days later, followed by a limited feature DVD of the movie, and eventually an “ultimate edition” DVD, which will include tons of special features and have the two films edited together into one megamovie, just as it appears in the graphic novel.
Also, AICN has just posted a 1940 photo of The Minutemen, a team of superheroes which formed in 1939 and disbanded a decade later. The photo below features the classic olden day versions of Silk Spectre, Nite Owl, Captain Metropolis, Mothman, Silhouette, Comedian, Dollar Bill, and Hooded Justice. Click the image below to see the full resolution version on AICN.
I have also scanned a couple frames from the comic book where the photo actually appears.
Discuss: Is mainstream America interested in watching a three hour Watchmen movie in the theater?Â
May 27th, 2008 at 2:32 am
I would personally love to see a 3 hour Watchmen movie in the theater. Don’t know if America will though.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:39 am
I think this film is going to be a fan film that will bring people in.
But three hours might scare some people away.
I cant wait though, doesn’t matter how long the final cut is.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:45 am
the fanboys will cry and hue if they cut anything from the film … \
the not-fanboys will cry and hue if the movie runs more than 2hrs and 15 minutes….
what about me?
im not cry and hue if they shave of anything from the 4 1/2 hrs ultimate edition! :P
May 27th, 2008 at 2:46 am
the fanboys will cry and hue if they cut anything from the film … \
the not-fanboys will cry and hue if the movie runs more than 2hrs and 15 minutes….
what about me?
im gonna cry and hue if they shave of anything from the 4 1/2 hrs ultimate edition! :P
May 27th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Even as a fanboy of the Watchmen graphic novel, 3 hours might pain me. It all depends on the story telling and pacing of the film. Basically, it better be worth sitting there for 3 hours.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:38 am
If the pacing is well done, then I’m all for it. It really comes down to how its edited and put together.
If it’s great, I’ll take Snyder’s cinematic load all over my face.
May 27th, 2008 at 3:42 am
Also, that Minutemen picture is brilliant. I love how Snyder is really going for ultimate attention-to-detail here.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:40 am
It will be the best three hours of my life.
May 27th, 2008 at 4:49 am
Where are you getting that 4 ½ hour director’s cut figure? I don’t think that the BLACK FREIGHTER stuff is going to be an hour and a half long. There’s not that much in the book, as far as I can remember. I’m guessing a director’s cut will run more to a bit under 4 hours.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Ya, unless it’s official, I’m not sure the director’s cut could be that long. I’m sure it’ll be hefty and I’ll definitely be looking forward to it but even with Black Freighter that’s about maybe 35-40 minutes. Plus other snipets here and there, a final might be close to four hours, but hey, I’m not working on the movie.
I’d say, that longer the better as long as the pacing and cinematics play well together. I can’t wait for the opening Rorschach scene in the bar.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Why not just break it up into two seperate movies, like BTTF 2 & 3, or the Matrix 2 & 3, etc?
May 27th, 2008 at 7:39 am
@ Dennis.
No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:50 am
i don’t know about America as a whole, but I’d definitely love to see a three (or even four) hour Watchmen flick. I just finished reading the graphic novel for the first time, and it was amazing. I’m really looking forward to this movie.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:11 am
It’s unlikely. I suppose it depends on the marketing, but Watchmen is a niche product, not something mainstream at all.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:44 am
I’m down. There’s going to be so much to absorb and look at throughout the movie, I’m excited. I think the general public will have a problem with it. Most might have to work to enjoy it to it’s full extent. I think, based on interviews and info released, it will be more or less what the fanboys want. Just imagine years and years down the road what an awesome cult following it will have. If you think about it in those terms I think you can see that it’s gonna be something special. If it’s a huge flop, but great movie I think it will be worth it. I love how Snyder’s sticking to his guns about the whole thing. Keeping it in the Eighties not messing too much with contemporising the art direction or costumes. This guy’s got a great vision and is working hard to deliver. I believe that.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:25 am
i would love to have it be five, six hours long, even.
cant wait. seems like theyre doing this the right way, the whole thing.
kind of. dark knight and watchmen is all i want. maybe some pineapple express..
May 27th, 2008 at 9:35 am
I am sooooo excited for this, but I just cannot imagine America being too thrilled with a 3 hour film. God Bless the WB for giving Snyder the o.k….but I fear that it is going to backfire on them. The average American movie goer is not all that intelligent–at this point they would rather have an hour and a half brainless, gore fest than anything with the slightest bit of intelligence in it sadly.
May 27th, 2008 at 9:49 am
if zack snyder found a porno book about my mom, i’d let him adapt it to film. bring on the 4hr + version…not my moms porn, the watchmen movie!
May 27th, 2008 at 9:49 am
“Is mainstream America interested in watching a three hour Watchmen movie in the theater?”
no.
however, geeks (like me and my friends) will bankroll it. also depends on how the promotion is done…
May 27th, 2008 at 10:45 am
I always said this book would be best adapted as a big budget miniseries. Even 3hrs might not be able to justifiably encompass the scope of the book. I don’t know if audiences would be willing to sit through such a long comic book adaptation but then again I’m sure that’s what most people thought before LOTR showed up. Like most people have commented it all depends on how well the story is told and how engaging it is.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:49 am
This is the best news ever. Not a big comic fan but Watchmen is an exception. I wish it was 10 hours long. Smart fans will wait for the 4+ hour version and hold temptation and watch it a friends house who buys the baby version. Go Snyder!!!!!!!!!
May 27th, 2008 at 10:53 am
you bet your ass i’m interested in it. i’d even sit through 4.5 hours in the theater if i could…
May 27th, 2008 at 11:14 am
“Where are you getting that 4 ½ hour director’s cut figure?”
Yeah, the number is specious and speculative at best. Best not to print what you don’t know, esp in a headline that will get picked up.
May 27th, 2008 at 11:16 am
I feel inclined just to wait until the DVD
May 27th, 2008 at 11:29 am
The Playlist: It is just simple math. Snyder has said he will include most if not all of the deleted scenes in his directors cut. In the New York Times article, Snyder reveals his current cut of the film is nearing 3 hours (and this is probably with scenes cut… but lets just say it isnt…) Snyder also reveals there will be a Ultimate special edition directors cut which will incorporate the “feature length” Black Freighter. Feature Length means at least 60 minutes. Most of the DC direct to DVD animated films have been more around normal animated film running time. So unless Black Freighter is 70 minutes long, the “ultimate edition which Snyder speaks of in the article will be at least 4 and ahalf hours long.
May 27th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Cap Awesome, your comments are disturbing yet halarious.
I think this is a great idea and hope Marvel is watching this and taking notes. (Avengers)
May 27th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
I think a 3 hour film with a 4 and a half hour director’s cut would be fantastic. I am all for it, although I agree that America on the whole is not. It’s quite possible that overseas ticket sales will help though.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
It’s like Captain Awesome said, there are some movies that are two and a half hours long that fly by because they’re edited great and you enjoy every minute. Then there are the ninety minute movies that drag on and on and on and you want to kill yourself forty-five minutes in. The final execution, which I have faith in, will determine if a three hour Watchmen movie will work.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I don’t think the American public are ready for a lot of shit… Dosnt mean it should impact me! F um. ;-)
May 27th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
To be honest i dont care what america thinks. this movie will not have a sequel(read the book if i didnt spoil it for u) so as much as i root for The Dark Knight to do like $150 million over its first weekend, i feel like Watchmen is a movie for the fans of the book, more than a commercial audience as wierd as that sounds. WB knows that if this movie isnt what the fans of the book arent expecting it will bomb because it wont get the word of mouth buzz like Iron Man did. so i say they go all out and let it get as literal a translation as humanly possible and then when they release the DVD(’s), i will nerd out and watch all 4+ glorious hours of watchmen. And that Minutemen photo only makes me want March 6th to get here even more quickly.
PS does that ultimate editon kind of sound like a kill bill thing, cutting between anime and live action! sounds so awesome!
May 27th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Bring it on. I’ll pee in a bottle if I have to.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
You know, what. I think it’s AWESOME they are taking this gigantic chance. I’m not a huge fan of overly-epic 4 hour movies…but with sometime like Watchmen, I think it needs it, and would be worth it. I’m glad the studios are willing to FINALLY do an adaption justice.
I’m about 9000 times more excited than I ever was. And I was pretty excited to begin with.
Sad that Alan Moore probably still won’t ever see it, since the other film-adaptions of his books have been rather…not good. If he does see it, I have a feeling this one could have the potential to redeem his faith in films.
May 27th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
why dont they adopt the same format of big plays and ever have intermissions?
that way we could get some liquid drained and re-stock on the pop corn if need be.
just a thought.
once the crowd gets back there could be a re-cap and straight into the last half
May 27th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Derek,
V was one of the best Moore adaptions to date. But Watchmen could end up being the epic I have wanted for this property. As for intermissions.
Both film companies and theatres are usually a bit weary with intermissions since they fear people will just leave after them. But if they market it as is, this will be something they can definitely market with said intermissions.
May 28th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Me, I will most def see it but mainstream america thinks that the new indiana jones movies awesome and it is shit so take a seriuos awesome movie aka watchman and america will not think so higly of it, they are looking for cheesy lack of story shit that took 19-20 years to write and 2 hours to watch lol 3 hours is awesome and 4 1.2 even better but for mainstream peps may not take the time of day to see it which will be sad.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:07 am
@ berzo12 - I think you’ve hit the nail on the head when you say that there is no chance of a sequel. This has obviously meant that the studio, realizing they can’t do the now-standard thing of making a trilogy, are finding other ways to milk it.
Personally I think all this talk of a 4 1/2 hour cut, the spin-off Black Freighter DVD, and the ‘webisodes’, is all proof that Watchmen is basically unfilmable. Terry Gilliam said it could only be done as a 12-part series and he was right. Why does there need to be a film of everything? Can’t we just appreciate Watchmen for what it is?
That said, I’d rather have one very long film that stands up on its own than what we usually get these days, which is three mediocre films, each a setup for the next.
But why does the Black Freighter have to be done ‘anime-style’? It has nothing to do with anime? Or are the executives just sat there thinking ‘hey, that ‘anime’ stuff is really big right now, we should totally cash in on that and make everything animated into something ‘anime style’, whether it warrants it or not’.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Liquidcow I see your point about how sumthings should be left off the screen. I personally would rather have Watchmen be the only property to never had made it to the big(or small) screen. But we dont have power over that, im just glad that WB is willing to let Snyder do what he does best and not interfere with the run time and translation of this film. WB knows they need to stretch this property out as much as possible and if it requires 3 DVD releases then so be it, as long as this film doesnt ruin the characters(which i dont think it will) it will do well. As for the Anime style of the Black Freighter is a continuation of the updated feel from the film. remember thats why most of the costumes are updated.
Lets just remember that the headline for this article could easily have been “Snyder and Warner Bros. battle over Watchmen cut” or sumthing to that affect. But it wasn’t and there never will be a story like that because, again, WB understands the size, scope and impact of this film. Its strange to see a studio embrace a property, but WB has seen the success of darker and more mature Comic Book adaptations(Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, which will do very well, and Snyder’s 300). So hows about a little faith in everyone involved with this film? It seems every piece of information that comes from this film gets better and better, im hopeful that a teaser will come out with TDK and shows what we have to look forward to on March 6th.
July 3rd, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I still wish that Watchmen would have been made into an HBO miniseries. The serialized format would have served the material so much better. Keep Zach Snyder on it, because he’s brilliant– and as a fan of Watchmen who needs to settle with a movie adaptation, I’m glad he has his three-hour version already. That’s amazing. And while many may not believe that the total extended edition would run up to 4 and a half hours, keep in mind the deleted scenes on top of the movie and the Black Freighter; Snyder and his wife already discussed the incredible length of the film, as she believes it’s even longer than three hours right now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pumped– but I want Watchmen, and not an R-rated Incredibles.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 pm
i dont think u will ever had to worry about an R rated incredibles Juno. the thing about snyder doing this film is that he wont settle for anything less than the full blown watchmen story. And as great as the black freighter is in the book i think it would throw the general audience off. so just having the watchmen story is good enough. and to be honest if this were on HBO i would have a hard time seeing how it would look half as good as it would in film form because the budget is much higher.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I might watch a 3 hour movie in the theatre but only if I can watch the 41/2 hour directors cut first.
I would rather wait for that to come out than have the anticipation ruined by watching a shorter version first.
August 1st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
i would watch a 3-hour movie, but no r-rating PLEASE! being not old enough to see r-rated movies, it would disappoint me a lot if the watchmen movie were rated r.
August 19th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
I mean, I don’t mind, but probably everybody else does… who knows?
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
The director of watchmen said the movie had to be at least 2.5 hours to fit the script so don’t worry. This movie has been in the works (or at least sued over rights) since 1988.
I HOPE it’s rated R. The book is rated R, the movie should be rated R just so it’s not cotton candy filled bullshit
August 28th, 2008 at 4:19 am
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Where’s the “ultimate” Kill Bill edited together we were promised/threatened with years ago?