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Ever since Winnie-the-Pooh entertained the public domain and became a slasher villain, the horror genre has seen an upswing in the trend of turning innocent characters into bloodthirsty maniacs. Of course, the trend is nothing new, as scare merchants have turned children's franchises into nightmares for years, like the time Syfy reimagined "The Banana Splits" characters as gruesome monsters. Still, it's experienced a resurgence in the wake of "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" and all of the public domain movies that have followed -- most of which are joyless and fail to do anything interesting with their concepts. They aren't all bad, though, as "Shiver Me Timbers" admirably turns Popeye into a savage sailor.

"Shiver Me Timbers" is one of three Popeye-themed horror movies to be released in 2025 (the others being "Popeye's Revenge" and "Popeye: The Slayer Man"), and it probably won't be the last now that filmmakers have the freedom...

Popeye is not here to save the day. At least, not in Popeye the Slayer Man, Robert Michael Ryan’s blood-drenched reinterpretation of the iconic cartoon sailor, which is preparing for its UK release on Prime Video in late July. The cult horror-slash-satire, already notorious for its extreme violence and warped character reinterpretation, has released a fresh batch of stills and a new promo clip ahead of its streaming debut, fuelling interest in what may be one of 2025’s most audacious horror experiments.

Originally launched in the US earlier this year, Popeye the Slayer Man transforms E. C. Segar’s beloved creation into a mutated, trauma-scarred cannery worker fuelled by contaminated spinach and violent retribution. Jason Robert Stephens takes on the title role, portraying a disfigured killer who haunts the abandoned Anchor Bay Cannery, the same factory where he once worked before corporate malpractice triggered a catastrophic contamination scandal. What...

Trinity Creative Partnership has revealed a summer slate that leans heavily into the weird and grotesque, with a wave of UK digital horror releases arriving throughout June. From killer cartoon reinventions to deranged slashers at sea, this year’s crop is a tour of the grotesque that travels from 1980s California to contemporary India and into a derelict American trailer park.

Among the standout titles is Shiver Me Timbers, a warped riff on the Popeye mythos that finds a group of friends camping under the stars during the arrival of Halley’s Comet. When a mysterious meteor fragment lands in the pipe of a crusty local fisherman, he transforms into a spinach-fuelled killing machine. Director Paul Stephen Mann’s feature debut leans into blood-soaked absurdity, offering horror with a heavy dose of nostalgic satire. It’s available digitally from 2 June via Reel 2 Reel Films.

Also landing on the same day is Rani Rani Rani,...

Are you in the mood for another Popeye horror movie? How about the latest release from A24? A slasher from Finn Wolfhard? A genre movie starring Pedro Pascal?! This week has it all.

Here’s all the new horror that released March 31– April 4, 2025!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

The latest horror movie to put a gory twist on beloved pop culture icon Popeye is Shiver Me Timbers, and director Paul Mann’s bloody slasher is now available on digital at home.

Blending classic slasher thrills with off-the-wall comedy, Shiver Me Timbers pays homage to 1980s horror classics while bringing Popeye into “his most terrifying adventure yet.”

Here’s the synopsis: “In Northern California during the summer of 1986, Olive Oyl, along with her cinema- obsessed friends and brother Castor, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip to witness the dazzling meteor shower accompanying the arrival of Halley’s comet.

The latest horror movie to put a gory twist on beloved pop culture icon Popeye is Shiver Me Timbers, and director Paul Mann’s bloody slasher is Now Available on digital at home.

Blending classic slasher thrills with off-the-wall comedy, Shiver Me Timbers pays homage to 1980s horror classics while bringing Popeye into “his most terrifying adventure yet.”

Here’s the synopsis: “In Northern California during the summer of 1986, Olive Oyl, along with her cinema- obsessed friends and brother Castor, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip to witness the dazzling meteor shower accompanying the arrival of Halley’s comet. But what starts as a serene evening of stargazing quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare when a meteor from the comet transforms Popeye, into a terrifying and unstoppable killing machine.”

With Shiver Me Timbers now available from all major VOD retailers, Bloody Disgusting caught up with Paul Mann to talk about...

Pop open a can of spinach, dear readers, because we have a new Popeye (the sailor himself) horror parody on the horizon. Coming April 1 from writer and director Paul Stephen Mann is Shiver Me Timbers, a uniquely disgusting and funny take on the iconic animated sailor with a love of leafy greens and his wife, Olive Oyl.

Read the full synopsis below:

In Northern California during the summer of 1986, Olive Oyl, along with her cinema- obsessed friends and brother Castor, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip to witness the dazzling meteor shower accompanying the arrival of Halley’s comet. But what starts as a serene evening of stargazing quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare when a meteor from the comet transforms Popeye, into a terrifying and unstoppable killing machine.

In our exclusive clip from the film, Olive Oyl and her friends receive a warning from a bloody stranger. But will they listen?...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Festival fans can prepare for an unforgettable four-day experience as the Romford Horror Festival returns with a bigger, bolder, and bloodier line-up than ever before. Running from February 27th to March 2nd, the festival will take over the soon-to-be-open Lumiere at the Mercury Shopping Centre, setting the stage for its highly anticipated official launch at the end of March. This year’s event marks a major expansion, with 240 feature films and shorts screening across seven screens, offering a deep dive into both mainstream and independent horror.

Festival Director Spencer Hawken sees this edition as a milestone, not only for the festival itself but also as a crucial test for the new cinema. “This is a fantastic opportunity to test the venue with a live audience, and horror fans are the perfect guinea pigs,” he said. “They’re passionate, knowledgeable, and incredibly understanding if there are any technical hiccups. While our...

A new horror-comedy slasher, Shiver Me Timbers, is set to put a terrifying spin on Popeye the Sailor, joining the growing trend of classic characters getting horror makeovers. Directed by Paul Mann and produced by Alpeke Entertainment, the film will hit theaters in the U.S. and Canada on April 1, with Gravitas Ventures handling the release. A brand-new trailer has just been revealed, giving audiences a glimpse of this twisted take on the beloved sailor.

The story follows Olive Oyl, her brother Castor, and a group of friends on a camping trip in Northern California during the summer of 1986. Their goal? To witness the spectacular meteor shower that comes with Halley’s Comet. But their peaceful getaway takes a horrifying turn when a meteor crashes and transforms Popeye into an unstoppable killer. What was meant to be a night of stargazing quickly spirals into a desperate fight for survival.

Drawing...

There is not enough spinach in the world to help this meteor-infected version of the famous sailor man. However, horror fans will surely delight in watching the brand-new trailer (below) for the upcoming film, Shiver Me Timbers, which features the beloved pipe-tooting character, Popeye, going on a bloody rampage. Check out the official synopsis below, thanks to the studio behind the upcoming scary flick, Alpake Entertainment:

"In Northern California during the summer of 1986, Olive Oyl, along with her cinema-obsessed friends and brother Castor, embark on a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip to witness the dazzling meteor shower accompanying the arrival of Halley's comet. But what starts as a serene evening of stargazing quickly turns into a harrowing nightmare when a meteor from the comet transforms Popeye into a terrifying and unstoppable killing machine."

The Scottish film production company (Alpake) boasts on its website of being known for its “movies with guts...

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 recently Alpeke Entertainment revealed that they’ve made a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye the Sailor. The film is expected to be released in the US and Canada on April 1st (courtesy of Gravitas Ventures), and this week a new trailer has dropped online to promote that release. You can check it out in the embed above.

Directed by Paul Mann and produced by Alpeke Entertainment, Shiver Me Timbers will be marketed at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, where EuroObscura will handle international sales.

It seems like a new public domain horror movie pops up every time we shut our eyes for a couple minutes, with two horror movies featuring the Popeye character already announced in recent months. In addition to Popeye the Slayer Man and Popeye’s Revenge, we’ve learned this week that Popeye horror movie Shiver Me Timbers is also headed our way.

Alpake Entertainment has released the bloody trailer for Shiver Me Timbers this morning, letting us know that the horror-comedy is headed to the European Film Market in Berlin.

The film has already been acquired by Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, for North America, with a scheduled release date in April 2025.

Watch the official trailer for director Paul Mann’s Shiver Me Timbers below.

“Blending classic slasher thrills with off-the-wall comedy, Shiver Me Timbers pays homage to ’80s horror while bringing Popeye into his most terrifying adventure yet.

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. 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.

First there was Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Then came news of Screamboat, another horror comedy based on a beloved cartoon character that recently entered the public domain, in this case the version of Mickey Mouse seen in Steamboat Willie. Now, get ready for the latest effort, Popeye the Slayer Man, a grisly take on the spinach-chewing, big-forearmed sailor who rose to popularity in the 1930s with a series of cartoons by Max Fleischer.

The film's official synopsis reads: "A curious 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 and local docks." Naturally, the group of friends meets the legendary Popeye, here re-imagined as a rage-filled slasher killer, and are offed by the Slayer Man in overly violent fashion. Fans of gore will definitely be pleased by the film's newly released Red Band trailer.

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. Earlier this month, it was announced that Alpeke Entertainment is working on a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on 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 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, as evident from the fact that there are actually several Mickey Mouse horror films making their way out into the world. Another example is Popeye. Earlier this month, it was announced that Alpeke Entertainment is working on a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye the Sailor. Since then, our friends at Bloody Disgusting...

Update: So, we appear to have mixed up two Popeye horror flicks! We assumed Shiver Me Timbers was the ITN Studios project we told you about last week, but apparently it's a completely separate movie.

Following a recent first look via some promo stills, the first trailer for ITN Studios' Popeye horror parody - which is officially titled Shiver Me Timbers - has been released online, and it looks... about how you'd expect!

The success of the recent low-budget Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood and Honey has led to a number of classic animated tales being given a horror makeover, and the spinach-chomping sailor is the latest beloved character to be turned into a bloodthirsty killer for an upcoming indie project.

Described as a "raunchy and gory slasher," it's worth clarifying that ITN’s movie is not connected to the Twisted Childhood Universe, aka the "Poohniverse."

Stephen Murphy is set to play the title character.

The Copyright Gods didn’t quite know what was coming when their laws returned beloved childhood characters into the public domain. How could they have guessed, for example, that when the first Winnie the Pooh book entered the public domain in 2022, enterprising filmmakers would warp the property into Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey?

Turns out the denizens of 100-Acre Wood weren’t so thrilled to be abandoned by Christopher Robin, with ravenous versions of Pooh and Piglet taking it out on the young man’s college pals. As one might imagine, the reviews weren’t great (3 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), but the money was, inspiring a Blood and Honey 2 that made even more cash.

Those successes inspired the same filmmakers to create horror films based on available Disney favorites like Bambi and Peter Pan. And why stop there — enterprising Canadians went after the Mouse himself, creating a horror-comedy version...

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 now Alpeke Entertainment has revealed that they’ve made a slasher horror comedy called Shiver Me Timbers, which puts a horror twist on Popeye the Sailor.

Directed by Paul Mann and produced by Alpeke Entertainment, Shiver Me Timbers is set to premiere at the American Film Market in Las Vegas, “giving attendees an exclusive preview of a wild ride, the likes of which you’ve not experienced before.” EuroObscura will be handling international sales at the event.

In Shiver Me Timbers, Olive Oyl, her brother Castor and friends, go on a camping trip to see...