To Boost DVD Sales, Warner Hopes You “Watch the Watchmen” Spin-Off

By Michael Santo
Editor-in-Chief, RealTechNews

Watchmen is arguably one of the greatest comic book mini-series ever written. Next March, Warner Bros. hopes to answer the question “Who watches the Watchmen” with millions of dollars worth of ticket sales. At the same time, Warner Bros. hopes to boost flagging DVD sales with a unique new idea.

A side-story in Watchmen is Tales of the Black Freighter, which is a comic book within the Watchmen universe. The comic is read by a teenage boy while he sits beside a newsstand. On March 10th, five days after the release of Watchmen, Warner Bros. will release a DVD with both Tales of the Black Freighter (animated) and Under the Hood, the memoirs of one of the characters in Watchmen, the Nite Owl (pictured left).

Both releases are being directed by Zack Snyder, director of the mega-hit 300.

The reason behind this approach are simple: money. According to Adams Media Research, in 2007 domestic DVD sales fell 3.2%, the first annual drop in the medium’s history. Blame has been laid on the shoulders of both piracy as well as streaming video.

By taking this tack, Warner Bros. can create a series out of one movie: Tales of the Black Freighter, followed about four months later by release of Watchmen itself on DVD, and then an “ultimate” edition in which the two are edited together into one megamovie.

In a statement, Ron Sanders, president of Warner Home Video said:

“There is a fear that if the DVD category declines over time that any well-run retailer is going to re-evaluate its commitment. We are offering retailers a meaningful opportunity to be involved with the theatrical event, to have a product that will generate foot traffic and sales.”

Although I earlier indicated that Blu-ray has won the hi-def DVD battle, only to lose the war to streaming video. Of course, I don’t believe that will happen for quite a long time. However, this seems somewhat of an admission by Warner Bros. that they see something to be concerned about as well, and is being proactive.