Plot is still being kept under wraps for now

Mar 23, 2010 16:04 GMT  ·  By

Another beloved cartoon character is about to return to the large screen and he will be doing so in style. Sony Pictures has announced plans for a computer generated “Popeye” film that will, of course, be released in 3D as well. As of now, details of the plot are being kept under a closed lid, Slash Film informs.

“Producer Avi Arad, who used to be attached to huge films like Spider-Man, has found himself more recently attached to films like Robosapien: Rebooted and the Bratz movie. Looks like that departure from Marvel really worked out for him. Former Variety writer Mike Jones, who was laid off from the Hollywood trade paper a year ago, is in talks to script the adaptation,” the movie-oriented e-zine says.

More details on this have not yet been made available, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the outlines of the plot can be easily imagined, given the popularity of the original character, as Slash Film also points out. However, given the fact that a project of this kind is bound to generate plenty of interest with the fan community, more on it should probably emerge in the weeks and months to come – as soon as Sony handles some of the most important aspects of the production, it’s being said.

“The storyline is being kept under wraps, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be good. We do know that Popeye’s love interest Olive Oyl, Arch nemesis Bluto and adopted child Swee’Pea will be featured in the movie. Arad told Variety that the new film ‘will cover the themes of friendship, love, greed and life, and focus on human strengths and human frailties.’ Popeye first appeared in a comic strip in 1929, and became a cartoon in the 1930’s with a series of shorts produced by Max and Dave Fleischer’s Fleischer Studios. The last time Popeye was on the big screen it was in the notorious disaster starring Robin Williams and directed by Robert Altman in 1980,” the publication goes on to say.

Though very unlikely, many fans and some movie-oriented publications (Slash Film included) are saying the realistic rendering of Popeye, done by Academy-award winning make-up artist Rick Baker, would be a good place to start. The drawing shows a very old and creepy Popeye, but it certainly makes the film go into an entirely different direction from anything else that’s been done before.