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“Popeye’s Revenge” reinvents a well-known figure from childhood cartoons into a figure that now serves as a menacing force in a film. The movie repurposes the classic sailor, replacing his friendly demeanor with a chilling new role marked by unexpected ferocity.

The narrative presents his past marked by isolation and tragedy, transforming these elements into a driver for his new, sinister actions. His trademark features take on unsettling significance, turning what was once a symbol of heroism into an embodiment of terror.

In today’s wave of films that repurpose established characters for shock value, this work stands as one example of repackaging familiar elements to create a darker experience.

It marries the typical cues of horror—sudden apparitions, eerie settings, and carefully timed violence—with the unexpected presence of an icon everyone thought they knew. The film interweaves classic slasher setups with hints of spectral mystery, adding a new dimension to its narrative.

It’s trendy these days to take a character from popular children’s stories and given them a horror twist. Lately we’ve been hearing about horror movies based on the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Bambi, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears… and like I said the last time I wrote about this, when one set of filmmakers decides to make a horror film featuring a beloved kids’ story character, there are sometimes multiple other sets of filmmakers working on horror films that center on the same character. We’ve seen this happen with Mickey Mouse, and now the character who’ll soon be seen in more than one horror movie is Popeye the Sailor Man. Last November, it was announced that Alpeke Entertainment is working on a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye.

Stars: Emily Rose Mogilner, Connor Powles, Bruno Cryan, Karolina Ugrenyuk, Fyn Phoenixx, Danielle Ronald, Steven Murphy, Kelly Rian Sanson | Written by Harry Boxley | Directed by William Stead

The stream of public domain horror continues, this time it’s E.C. Segar’s iconic sailor Popeye who gets turned into a killer. The script by Harry Boxley, who has already scripted a trio of similar films, Piglet, Mouse of Horrors and Cinderella’s Curse re-imagines him as a boy born with huge forearms and freakish strength who accidentally kills one of his tormentors leading to the death of his parents and the young lad seemingly drowning.

Years later we find out he’s still alive as he kills off a trio of obnoxious YouTubers. From there we join Tara (Emily Rose Mogilner; 500) who is about to inherit the land where the house stood so she along with her boyfriend Dylan, Nick (Bruno Cryan; Treeline Essex Girls), Kathy,...

Well, it looks like Popeye has officially entered the public domain, and with that comes the inevitable low-budget horror adaptation. The beloved spinach-loving sailor is the latest classic character to be transformed into a slasher villain, following in the footsteps of Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Pan.

The film, titled Popeye’s Revenge, takes the familiar formula of turning childhood icons into nightmare fuel. If you’re curious—or just can’t look away—there’s already a trailer out for it.

Popeye’s Revenge is described by ITN Movies as a “horrifying take on the classic character,” though that may not mean what they think it does. This isn’t horrifying because of its scares—it’s horrifying because it’s essentially Friday the 13th with Popeye in the killer role.

The film follows a group of friends hoping to open a summer camp, only to be haunted by the legend of Popeye.

It’s trendy these days to take a character from popular children’s stories and given them a horror twist. Lately we’ve been hearing about horror movies based on the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Bambi, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears… and as I’ve said before, when one set of filmmakers decides to make a horror film featuring a beloved kids’ story character, there are sometimes multiple other sets of filmmakers working on horror films that center on the same character. We’ve seen this happen with Mickey Mouse, and now the character who’ll soon be seen in more than one horror movie is Popeye the Sailor Man. Back in November, it was announced that Alpeke Entertainment is working on a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye.

Prepare for a sea of blood, because Popeye’s Revenge has sailed onto VOD exclusively on Amazon via ITN Distribution.

The indie horror film turns the classic character into a slasher villain when the legend of Popeye haunts a group of counselors as they intend to open a summer camp.

From Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey executive producers Stuart Alson and Nicole Holland, William Stead directs from a script by Harry Boxley (Cinderella’s Curse).

Steven Murphy stars as Popeye alongside Poohniverse alumni Kelly Rian Sanson, Danielle Scott, Danielle Ronald, and Amanda Jane York.

Created by E.C. Segar, Popeye the Sailor first appeared in 1929 in the King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre. Popeye’s Revenge is the first of a few horror movies to exploit the character’s recent public domain status, with Popeye the Slayer Man also due out this year.

The post ‘Popeye’s Revenge’ Sails Onto VOD Today from ‘Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey...

As a fresh reminder, there are two different Popeye horror movies headed our way, one of which is titled Popeye’s Revenge. The other one is titled Popeye the Slayer Man, exploring an alternate backstory for the legendary sailor, and Deadline brings us an update this afternoon.

Deadline details in today’s report, “A North American theatrical release is being lined up for Spring 2025 via Vantage Media.” Additionally, the outlet notes, “Vmi Worldwide has boarded worldwide sales on horror Popeye the Slayer Man, which will have its world premiere screening in the market at next month’s EFM in Berlin.”

In Popeye the Slayer Man, “a group of friends sneak into an abandoned spinach canning factory to film a documentary on the legend of the “Sailor Man,” who is said to haunt the factory.”

“Popeye the Slayer Man’s dark reimagining of the classic Popeye character not only delivers a fresh...