EXCLUSIVE: “Well, blow me down!”, as the curmudgeonly sailor would say. Popeye is the latest iconic public domain character to get a horror movie adaptation.
In fact, there are at least three on the loose at the same time. A few days ago, news dropped of a “raunchy horror” from ITN Studios. Today, we can bring news of Popeye The Slayer Man, which will also explore an alternate backstory for the legendary sailor, and is also aiming for release in 2025. First stills are above and below.
This film follows a group of friends who sneak into an abandoned spinach canning factory to film a documentary on the legend of the ‘Sailor Man’, who is said to haunt the factory and local docks.
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Pic stars Sean Michael Conway, Elena Juliano, Mabel Thomas, Marie-Louise Boisnier, Jeff Thomas, and Steven McCormack, along with Angela Relucio (Code Black) and Sarah Nicklin (Black Mass). Jason Stephens plays the title role.
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Robert Michael Ryan (Ouija Witch) directs from a screenplay by John Doolan (Remains). Jeff Miller (The Toybox), Cuyle Carvin (Ouija Witch), and Ryan also contributed to the story. Producers are — along with Miller, Carvin, and Ryan — Alexander Tucker, Nathan Todaro, and Alysa Blasetti. Korey Rowe was Director of Photography. R.J. Young supervised the special makeup FX. The movie was filmed in New York State.
Popeye the Slayer Man is a co-production between Salem House Films, Millman Productions, Ron Lee Productions, and Otsego Media.
“We can’t wait for audiences to get a load of this gory and scary version of Popeye,” said producer Jeff Miller. “We went old-school and focused on using real practical effects, and not relying on CG for the gore. We’re talking with very enthusiastic and interested buyers now. ”
Another Popeye-themed horror separately doing the rounds is UK film Shiver Me Timbers, which was also on sale at the AFM. In the comedy-horror, 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.