I just came from a whirlwind one on one with Watchmen director Zack Snyder here at Comic Con, and while he wouldn’t confirm or deny it, it was obvious that he’s going to cast Gerard Butler as the desperate castaway in The Tales of the Black Freighter, the pirate comic within Watchmen.
Maybe.
That maybe doesn’t rest on Butler or Snyder, but rather on Warner Bros, who still have not committed the money needed to shoot the sequences, which would be included on the DVD. Zack did confirm that if he got the money he would do the Black Freighter in full on, stylized 300 fashion.
As far as I’m concerned, Warner Bros has to give him the money. I don’t think a Watchmen movie needs The Tales of the Black Freighter, but as a supplement, it’s going to be a ton of fun, and Butler is perfect for the role. Are you listening Warner Bros?
Look for my full (and short) one on one with Snyder to run soon.