Warner Home Video has announced that Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Watchmen will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 21st, just two days before the opening of the San Diego Comic-Con. The film will be released in 3 versions: a single-disc no frills version (MSRP $28.99), a 2-Disc Special Edition (MSRP $34.99), and a 2-disc Blu-ray Edition ($35.99).
The 2-Disc Special Edition includes the 3-hour “director’s cut” of the film with 25 additional minutes of footage including, according to Snyder, “the Hollis death stuff” and “a lot more connective tissue” that had to be cut from the theatrical release. The Special Edition also includes a documentary on the Watchmen graphic novel, “The Phenomenon That Changed Comics,” as well as 11 Watchmen “Making-Of” Webisodes, a digital copy of the theatrical release, and My Chemical Romance’s Desolation Row music video.
The Blu-ray version includes all the features from the 2-Disc Special Edition plus the “Immersive Maximum Movie Mode” commentary feature in which director Zack Snyder actually appears on screen and deconstructs a sequence, which is shown in various stages of development on screens right behind him. The Blu-ray also includes a BD live online feature that fans can use to coordinate communal screenings and discussions with their Facebook friends (see “Watchmen DVD Out Late July”).
What Warner Home Video has not confirmed is the fate of the so-called “Ultimate Cut” of Watchmen, which includes the “Tales of the Black Freighter” animated footage, an omission that apparently sets the table for “double-dipping” at the expense of Watchmen fans with a second, more complete Watchmen DVD release. Snyder filmed the transitions to the Black Freighter footage, and has talked publicly about integrating the animated sequence (already released by Warners on a separate DVD) into the director’s cut to create a 3 hour and 25-minute "Ultimate Cut" of the film. It is likely that the “Ultimate Cut” of the film will emerge at some point in the future, possibly as early as the fall. In Warner Bros.' defense, the studio has reportedly spent a lot of money in completing all the special effects for the shots included in the "director's cut," and Warner's best chance to recoup its considerable costs on the Watchmen project is on DVD
While the Watchmen movie turned out to be something of a box office disappointment (though it has excellent prospects on DVD), it has certainly proven to be a boon to sales of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen graphic novel, which has dominated the bookstore graphic novel charts so far in 2009. Other films, such as
