The first-look images have been revealed for Popeye the Slayer Man. The upcoming horror movie follows a group of friends sneaking into an abandoned spinach factory to film a documentary on “the Sailor Man,” who is believed to haunt the factory. Popeye the Slayer Man is in the same vein of Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey‘s horror, which takes an iconic public domain character and gives them a new, frightening story that is not suitable for children.
Deadline has shared the first images that show Popeye transformed into a terrifying figure shrouded in mystery, along with one of the individuals who has snuck into the factory, unaware that he is watching her. Jason Stephens plays this sinister version of Popeye with a cast that also includes Code Black‘s Angela Relucio and Black Mass‘ Sarah Nicklin. This haunted take on the legendary sailor’s backstory is aiming to be released in 2025. Check out the first-look images below:
What This Means For Popeye The Slayer Man
Popeye Will Be Absurd And Scary
Popeye looks appropriately terrifying in Popeye the Slayer Man‘s first images. His sailor’s uniform is blood-spattered as he smokes his pipe, and he looks equally menacing from a distance as he watches one of the friends who are in the factory to film the documentary. The primary setting being an abandoned spinach factory is a perfectly on-the-nose choice given Popeye’s famous love for spinach. This lack of subtlety bodes well for the horror movie leaning into the absurd and campy nature of its premise.
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With an upcoming live-action Popeye movie in the works, it begs the question of who will step into Robin Williams’ shoes to play the fight sailor man.
Popeye the Slayer Man‘s creative team is intent on the movie being genuinely scary, though. Producer Jeff Miller shared that this will be “a gory and scary version of Popeye” and that they were “using real practical effects, and not relying on CG for the gore.” As the wait for the confirmed Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 3 continues, Popeye the Slayer Man‘s premise and its reliance on practical effects for the gore makes its potential 2025 release all the more tantalizing.
Our Take On Popeye The Slayer Man’s First Images
The Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey Trend Still Has Potential
The concept of beloved child-friendly characters being turned into horror movies now that they are in the public domain does not feel as inventive as it initially did. However, Popeye the Slayer Man‘s first images are enticing and show that the sailor may be a more natural fit for this approach. With a more traditional Popeye the Sailor Man live-action adaptation in the works, it may feel strange to have Popeye the Slayer Man as well, but it will be exciting to have multiple new versions of the sailor in the coming years.
Source: Deadline