It’s raining live-action movies! Popeye the Sailor Man: The Next Anime Icon to Come to Life | Hollywood

Surpassing the iconic waves of nostalgia, Popeye sails back for more. The tough spinach gobbler who has raised multiple generations of kids and become one of the very few cartoon characters who inspired them to do what their parents couldn’t despite constant scolding sessions – eat green, is ready to take on the responsibility of a bigger-than-anime-life soon. .

Establishing a pioneer life, the memorable fictional character first appeared in the King Features Thimble Theater comic strip in the 1920s. He’s now riding the wave of the upcoming flood of live-action films. Earlier this week, it was also confirmed that a live-action Teen Titans movie is in production. It looks like Popeye has joined the ranks of ambitious projects already in the pipeline.

What we know about the live-action Popeye movie so far

Calling it an ambitious project is appropriate at this point as the Popeye movie (in development) is described as a “big-budget feature.” Chernin Entertainment and King Features team up for the latest review. Screenwriter Michael Calio has reportedly joined the project. He is known for The Sopranos (1999), The Family (2013) and Sexy Beast (2024).

This new-age showcase for the animated character isn’t the first time he’s appeared alive on screen. Legendary Hollywood star Robin Williams led the eponymous 1980 film, with Shelley Duvall playing his love interest, Olive Oil. The Robert Altman-directed film was produced under the joint banner of Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions on a budget of $20 million.

A fan-made trailer for Popeye the Sailor live-action movie has appeared online, indicating an active fan following for the beloved 1920s cartoon:

Modern audiences may recognize Superman, Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, or Jean Gray as superheroes, but an entire category of humble origins originated with Popeye being one of them. The famous sailor gaining his superpowers from green vegetables was just an added bonus that many parents still thank to this day for encouraging them to adopt a healthy pattern of eating habits. News of the Popeye movie comes at an even more special time in the character’s history as he celebrated his 95th birthday since he first arrived in the comic in 1929. His crazy fan following has transcended generations, and that’s translated to how some fans have released unofficial trailers, imagining Dwayne Johnson as Popeye the Sailor in December 2023. However, official casting announcements are still a leap to be made, but only then. The studio was attached to the project title.

Variety was the first to break this story.