Proof that there is no IP too old for Hollywood to mine, cartoon icon Popeye the Sailor Man is heading to the big screen for a new live-action reboot, according to a report from Variety. This will be the second live-action film for the 95-year-old pop culture staple, after the 1980 film starring Robin Williams. Chernin Entertainment and Popeye rights holders, King Features, are developing this project. A script about the cranky sailor with spinach-induced super strength by screenwriter Michael Caleo, known for his work on projects like The Sopranos, is in its early stages. Does this mean we’re getting a dark and gritty live-action Popeye movie reboot?
Long before any talk of this movie reboot, Popeye first appeared in 1929, only a year after Mickey Mouse debuted. In his heyday, he was just as successful as Mickey, too. He began his life as a comic strip, which became wildly popular in Depression-era America. These comic strips were followed by an equally beloved series of animated shorts, which ran in movie theaters until the late ’50s. Since then, Popeye and his cast of supporting characters like Olive Oyl, Wimpy, Bluto, and Swee’Pea continued to appear in comic books and Saturday morning cartoons, extending his pop culture longevity.
In 1980, Robert Altman released a live-action Popeye movie for Paramount, which critics panned at the time. They expected it to be as big as 1978’s Superman: The Movie, and didn’t quite hit that mark of success. Nevertheless, endless airings of the musical film on cable TV made it a favorite for a whole generation. Will this lead to a full-scale Popeye revival in pop culture? He’s been a dormant pop culture character for some time now. We doubt most kids today even know who he is, outside the name. The live-action Popeye movie has no director or star yet, and certainly no release date. But we expect many fan-castings to choose Dwayne Johnson.