"Tales of the Black Freighter", a fictional comic within the "Watchmen" limited series, was adapted as a 26-minute, direct-to-video animated feature from Warner Premiere, Warner Bros. Animation, and Legendary titled "Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter", and released on March 24, 2009. It was originally included in the "Watchmen" script, but was changed from live-action footage to animation because of the $20 million it would have cost to film it in the stylized manner of "300" that Snyder wanted; this animated version, originally intended to be included in the final cut, was then cut because the film was already approaching a three-hour running time. Gerard Butler, who starred in "300", voices the Captain in the animated feature, having been promised a role in the live-action film that never materialized. Jared Harris voices his deceased friend Ridley, whom the Captain hallucinates is talking to him. Snyder had Butler and Harris record their parts together. Like the original live-action film itself, international rights to the "Black Freighter" film are held by Paramount Home Entertainment.