New CGI 'Popeye' Movie Hires Writer, Going 3-D

Popeye is coming back to theaters in 3-D. Sony and producer Avi Arad are in talks to hire writer Mike Jones to adapt the legendary comic and cartoon character for a new CGI film, which will almost certainly be a better investment than the live-action punchline from the early 1980s. "I'm an unabashed, lifelong Popeye fan," Jones told Variety. "Introducing this squinty-eyed sailor to a new generation also means reintroducing him to those who, like me, grew up with him." That sounds like...a guy busting his hump to try to land a job. But is this exciting to people who grew up with Popeye? I don't know; he wasn't my favorite, so this news kind of bounces harmlessly off my brain. I feel the same way about The Smurfs, which Sony is also developing. That'll be in theaters next summer, so it ought to be a good litmus for this kind of thing. But this kind of impetuosity on Sony's part reminds me of the board game frenzy that's happening all over Hollywood. You've got Battleship, Monopoly, Candy Land, Ouija...and nobody knows if audiences want one of these flicks, much less all of them. Another point to consider is the awful track record similar films have: Scooby Doo was profitable, the second one wasn't, Rocky and Bullwinkle was garbage, Fat Albert needs no explanation. Really, this is just a reaction to Alvin & the Chipmunks, and those two movies are really the only ones that have been monster hits. It's too early to see exactly where Sony is aiming with this one, but it will probably have a budget in the $100 million ballpark. Even if it's only, say, $60 million, can a 3-D Popeye movie generate close to $200 million to be ultimately profitable?

Comments

[tiffany]

These tiffany jewellery are amazing

[Jake Samuels]

GET Billy West to do POPEYES voice and ONLY HIM