Popeye to Return to Big Screen in 3D

In the world of animation, looks like everything old is new again, and this time in 3D. Sony has just announced that work has begun on a 3D CGI animated film based on the classic character Popeye.  The film is being produced by former Marvel boss Avi Arad. On Monday, Variety reported that their ex-employee, Mike Jones would write the script for the film.

“What fascinates me about Popeye is that he is both an unbounded superhero and a supreme underdog,” Jones said to Variety. “I’m an unabashed, lifelong Popeye fan. Introducing this squinty-eyed sailor to a new generation also means reintroducing him to those who, like me, grew up with him.”

Popeye the Sailor began as a comic strip in the 1930’s a quickly graduated to a series of animated shorts which, like Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes, became an afternoon TV staple for most kids from the 1960’s and on. In 1980, a dismal live action film was made by Robert Altman starring Robin Williams.

Hopefully, this new incarnation of our favorite spinach eating sailor will be closer in spirit to those old cartoons we grew up watching.