UPDATE: So, we appear to have mixed up two Popeye horror flicks! We assumed Shiver Me Timbers was the ITN Studios project we told you about last week, but apparently it's a completely separate movie.
He's one tough Gazookus, which hates all Palookas wot ain't on the up and square, and ol' Popeye will be doling out more than a few spinach-fuelled ass whuppings in a new slasher movie from ITN Studios.
The success of the recent low-budget Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey has led to a number of classic animated tales being given a horror makeover, and Popeye is the latest beloved character to be turned into a bloodthirsty killer for an upcoming indie project.
Described as a "raunchy and gory slasher," it's worth clarifying that ITN’s Popeye movie - which is officially titled Shiver Me Timbers - is not connected to the Twisted Childhood Universe, aka the "Poohniverse."
Stephen Murphy is set to play the title character. Rene August is producing, with William Stead on board as director.
A brief synopsis reads: "The legend of Popeye haunts a group of councilors as they intend to open a summer camp."
It sounds like Popeye is being reimagined as a Jason Voorhees-like maniac.
Check out the trailer below.
Popeye was created by Elzie Crisler Segar, and first appeared on January 17, 1929 in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre. In the '30s, Max Fleischer produced a series of Popeye the Sailor theatrical cartoon shorts for Paramount Pictures. Over the years, the spinach-chomping sailor has appeared in various other cartoons, comics, radio shows, and remains incredibly popular to this day.
Back in 2010, Sony Pictures announced a new animated movie with The Smurfs writers Jay Scherick and David Ronn penning the script and the legendary Genndy Tartakovsky set to direct. The project ultimately ended up being scrapped, but earlier this year, we learned that a new live-action Popeye film is being developed at Chernin Entertainment with a screenplay written by Michael Caleo for King Features.
The character has only made one previous live-actin appearance, with Robin Williams taking on the title role in Robert Altman's highly divisive 1980 Popeye movie.
Check out the full synopsis below.
"Olive Oyl, her brother Castor and friends, go on a camping trip to see the meteor shower with Halley’s Comet. But the night turns into horror as a meteor transforms Popeye into an unstoppable killing machine. With thrilling 80s slasher references and comedic twists, the film combines elements of horror and comedy in a fresh take on both genres. Shiver Me Timbers pays tribute to classic slasher films while delivering hilarious moments, shocking scares, and nostalgic nods that will delight both horror and Popeye fans alike. Here’s another synopsis: In Northern California during the summer of 1986, Olive Oyl, along with her cinema-obsessed friends and brother Castor, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip to witness the dazzling meteor shower accompanying the arrival of Halley’s Comet. But what starts as a serene evening of stargazing quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare when a meteor from the comet transforms Popeye, into a terrifying and unstoppable killing machine."