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Butler Confirms Watchmen's Black Freighter
February 28, 2008
First rumored back in October, 300 star Gerard Butler has confirmed to Empire that an animated "Tales of the Black Freighter" will be shot for the upcoming Watchmen DVD, and that the actor will be lending his voice as well.
The comic-within-a-comic tells the tale of a castaway's mental and physical deterioration and damnation as he tries to intercept a ghost freighter headed for his hometown.
"I'm going to do the voice of the captain," said Butler. "They're going to do it in the style of a Japanese anime and I'm totally stoked.
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Related Articles From Other SitesPosted by: Jim Boulton on February 28, 2008 at 12:13:48
Sweet. I can't wait to see this.
Posted by: lex the pimp on February 28, 2008 at 12:33:11
i totally didnt get this when i read watchmen the first time
Posted by: somedude on February 28, 2008 at 12:36:00
i thought they wanted to put an option on the disc so you could either play it with the 'black freighter' storyline woven into the main plot, or without it, as it will be theatrically released. it'll be weird going back and forth from anime to action. still very good news.
Posted by: louiebling$ on February 28, 2008 at 12:41:51
Wow the wb is really into anime.... gotham knight is goin to be an anime too
Posted by: Martin H on February 28, 2008 at 12:42:17
Wow, sounds awesome. BTW, I'm glad the whole "First" posting thing didn't get a foothold here. Way to go everyone.
Posted by: Seriously on February 28, 2008 at 12:43:06
No kidding. We all read it this week like you, too.
Posted by: Noble on February 28, 2008 at 12:55:32
Looks like it's still planned for the DVD, not the theatrical version. Describes it as an animated short and a companion piece to Watchmen, so they might not intend to have it interwoven with the main story.
Either way, I'm glad it'll be included in some form, at least.
Posted by: Alfonso on February 28, 2008 at 13:30:51
Cool. But, I don't prefer to see it in Anime. . .
Posted by: Aethyrr on February 28, 2008 at 14:10:15
When I read "lending his voice" I thought of an animated film
Posted by: Jonathan on February 28, 2008 at 14:13:22
I totally disagree with the choice to have it done in the Anime style. It needs to be done in the traditional classics style similar to the illustrations in the comic. I think an Anime style would distract from the mood of the the piece.
Posted by: Gamertags on February 28, 2008 at 14:21:38
I mean, it was all sort of a tribute to four-color comics printing in the first place, wasn't it? When they zoom in on the castaway's face and you can see the dots from the printing, mixed with the despair in his face, and it looks like he's literally falling apart?
I can understand wanting to do it differently, since the whole "pirate comics" genre is a look at how comics evolved in a different future anyway, but at this point, is anime really "different"?
I have to confess that I'm not too thrilled about the anime thing.
Gerard Butler's cool, though, and I'm glad that they're going to do it. I'm still ambivalent about Watchmen, period, since so much of its purpose was to explore the boundaries of what comics could do as an art form. But, if you're going to make a Watchmen movie, then I'm glad they're including Tales of the Black Freighter.
Posted by: Ivan on February 28, 2008 at 14:46:47
Definitely one of my favorite aspects from Watchmen...everything going to hell right before your eyes, cant wait for the movie and of course cant wait for the DVD. Gerard Butler is an excellent choice.
Posted by: jake on February 28, 2008 at 14:55:51
no! not anime!
Posted by: Travis on February 28, 2008 at 15:10:05
So will they be showing this before the film as a short prequel story?
Posted by: Travis on February 28, 2008 at 15:11:11
Never-mind, I see now that it's just for the DVD...
Posted by: wednesday on February 28, 2008 at 15:52:03
This has the potential to be ****ing brilliant. And its such a wonderful bonus to the story, provided you grasp the connections/ parallels to the novel. And gerard butler has a chance to earn back some "man points" after that stupid chick flick he did.
Posted by: 20xx on February 28, 2008 at 16:46:04
I take it you've never read 300. I can't wait to see your opinion when you realize that in the book the Spartans stripped down to nothing but their capes and stood, naked, on the backs of the other Spartans as they did push ups.
Snyder isn't someone who panders to the lowest common denominator, Snyder opts to stay true to the source material, and in 300's case, it was just another example of that ****ing hack Frank Miller's work being below par.
Posted by: Ha ha on February 28, 2008 at 16:53:49
Why do you assume I've never read the comic? That has nothing to do with the craptitude of the movie. If, in the movie, the Spartans had striped down to nothing but their capes and stood, naked, on the backs of the other Spartans as they did pushups, I might have respected it more - at least then it would have been true to the source material.
But putting everybody through the rigors of Cross-Fit just so they could stand there and scream real loud was a cop-out, and isn't true to either Miller's book (why is he such a hack) or the actual history of the battle.
Posted by: Nando on February 28, 2008 at 17:41:32
why would they put that stupid comic in the movie.
Posted by: somedude on February 28, 2008 at 17:49:28
snyder's been insistent that the story has to change when viewed as a film or a comic, though it's valid to point out that the book was designed to push the limits of the medium. in a film though a tribute to four color print isn't going to seem relevant. i don't know if anime corresponds to the style of the pirate comics in the same way that imagery from 'taxi driver' corresponds to visuals surrounding rorschach in the book, but snyder's been clear that since he's making a movie, he's using motion picture conventions. my question is, does butler know what anime is? maybe he just likes the hip sound of the word. they could do the animation in a style that suits the story.
Posted by: Psyklotron on February 28, 2008 at 18:25:23
Nice! That is sooo it!
Posted by: lex. on February 28, 2008 at 18:49:46
ok, so i'm okay with anime. I really love the idea of the different anime versions of batman. The Black freighter done in anime style is exactly the kind of thing that tells me they have missed the mark with this kinda movie. It all kinda reeks of Watchmen Babies in "V for Vacation." Anime just doesn't make any sense for this. It should be done in frozen frame shots with voice overs. ****, just use the panels themselves. it would work. comic book art is kinda critical for this. Using anime is exactly the kinda thing this frat boy directer WOULD do to ruin this. I'm betting it's not the only thing he messes up. I loved 300, but this is so much more to take on. i don't think he can do it. I hope I'm wrong. Gerard Butler voicing him is awesome.
Posted by: I7eIVIoNBoY on February 28, 2008 at 19:02:36
japanese anime sux!
Posted by: Bacon Cordial on February 28, 2008 at 19:21:01
Why the hell is anime used so often now? They should just use regular animation. Still it should be sweet to see.
Posted by: Tighelander on February 28, 2008 at 21:02:20
I'm not a fan of annie may; I have like a few things, but art taken from a "Love Is..." poster is not one of them. I think Butler could be great it the style was like "lone wolf & cub".
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