Genndy Tartakovsky (DEXTER'S LABORATORY, POWERPUFF GIRLS, SAMURAI JACK, and the rather excellent STAR WARS: CLONE WARS micro-series), whose forthcoming HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA feature hits screens later this year, has been attached to develop and direct a new animated feature film based on POPEYE.
Avi and Ari Arad will produce under their Arad Productions banner with Sony Pictures Animation. As of November, scribes David Ronn and Jay Scherick were attached to pen the script.
...says Variety HERE.
POPEYE last visited the big screen in 1980 via a live-action adaptation from director Robert Altman and starring Robin Williams as the title character.
Personally, I couldn't stand the movie...although I do very much appreciate what it was going for and begrudgingly acknowledge a few of its more impressive qualities (its scale/production design, for example). Hopefully, Tartakovsky's version will work out better?
Popeye was first introduced in early 1929, as a minor character in an already existing comic strip. He has subsequently evolved to enjoy a long life in comic strips, comic books, theatrical animated shorts, television cartoons, and various ancillary markets.
As a kid, I once tried to slam down a can of Spinach - the food which lends Popeye his freakish strength. I barfed.
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