Warner has announced the release of the five-disc DVD and four-disc Blu-ray of Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut! The sets are going to be available for purchase on November 3, 2009.

This ultimate cut of the film features the integration of the animated “Tales of the Black Freighter” film, which makes the adaptation that much closer to the source material. In the original Watchmen Graphic Novel, Tales of the Black Freighter was a comic-within-a-comic that served as a foil to the main story, intermittently told throughout as the plot progresses. In the film version, this animated tale will be told in parts during the movie as well giving viewers a more complete and true version that’s closer to the original graphic novel.

From the director of Watchmen and 300 come two tales from the celebrated graphic novel that do not appear in the extraordinary Watchmen Theatrical Feature. Tales of the Black Freighter (featuring the voice of 300’s Gerard Butler) brings to strikingly animated life the novels richly layered story-within-a-story, a daring pirate saga whose turbulent events may mirror those in the Watchmen’s world.

Along with this updated version of the film, Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut, will also include two all new commentaries by Director Zack Snyder and Illustrator Dave Gibbons and over 3 hours of special features (see specs below), along with the complete collection of the Watchmen motion comics. While this film was previously released in it’s theatrical version and a director’s cut, this ultimate cut is most likely going to be the most comprehensive version of the film so far (or, ever?) and may be the best way to view it… if you can sit through the long run time. You can pre-order Watchmen: The Ultimate Cut over at Amazon now.

Special Features are to Include:

2 all-new audio commentaries with director Zack Snyder and illustrator Dave Gibbons

3 hours of special features:

• The Phenomenon: The Comic that Changed Comics
• Real Super Heroes, Real Vigilantes
• Mechanics: Technologies of a Fantastic World
• Watchmen: Video Journals
• My Chemical Romance Desolation Row
• Under The Hood
• Story Within A Story: The Books of Watchmen

Digital copy of the theatrical version

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comics