Faring past the waves of iconic nostalgia, Popeye is sailing back for more. The brawny spinach-gulper who raised multiple generations of children, becoming one of the very few cartoon characters to inspire them to do what their parents couldn’t achieve despite persistent chiding sessions – eating green food, is ready to take on a larger-than-cartoon-life soon.

Instituting a trailblazing life, the unforgettable fictional character first appeared in the King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre in the 1920s. He’s now riding the tide of the incoming live-action film flood. Earlier this week, the Teen Titans live-action movie was also confirmed to be in production. Popeye has seemingly joined the ranks of the ambitious projects already in the works.

What we know about the Popeye live-action movie so far

Calling it an ambitious project is apt at this point since the Popeye film (in development) is being touted as a “big-budget feature.” Chernin Entertainment and King Features are joining forces for the modern revision. Reportedly, screenwriter Michael Caleo has boarded the project. He’s known for The Sopranos (1999), The Family (2013) and Sexy Beast (2024).

The new-age rendition of the cartoon figure isn’t the first time he’s come alive on the screen. Legendary Hollywood star Robin Williams led the 1980 eponymously titled film with Shelley Duvall playing his love interest, Olive Oyl. The Robert Altman directorial was produced under the joint banners of Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions with a budget of $20 million.

Fan-made trailer for Popeye the Sailor Live-action movie popped online, hinting at the still-active fan-following of the beloved cartoon from the 1920s:

Modern-day audiences may recognise Superman, Iron Man, Batman, Wonder Woman or Jean Grey as their superheroes, but a whole class of humble origins grew up with Popeye being theirs. The iconic sailor gaining his superpowers from the green vegetable was just an additional quirk that many parents still thank to this day for encouraging a healthy pattern of eating habits. The Popeye movie news comes at an even more special time in the character’s history as it celebrated his 95th birthday since his first arrival in the 1929 comic. His crazy fan-following has transcended generations, and it translated to how some fans released unofficial trailers, imagining Dwayne Johnson as their Popeye the Sailor in December 2023. However, official casting announcements are still a leap that needs to be made, but only after a studio is attached to the project’s title.

Variety first broke this story.