Popeye the Slayer Man, a horror take on Popeye the Sailor Man, is set to receive a theatrical and VOD release in March

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. Then, ITN Studios brought us Popeye’s Revenge, which was given a VOD release last week. Now, it has been revealed that director Robert Michael Ryan’s Popeye the Slayer Man is set to receive a theatrical and VOD release, courtesy of Vantage Media, on March 21st. You can watch the trailer in the embed above.

Scripted by John Doolan, Popeye the Slayer Man concerns a group of friends who 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. Ryan contributed to the story with producers Jeff Miller and Cuyle Carvin.

Ryan provided the following statement: “We went old-school with this movie, using practical effects for the horror. I wanted this film to have a more visceral feel reminiscent of the classic horror films of the ‘70s and ‘80s.” Miller added, “We hope audiences will have as much fun with this movie as we had making it.  Grab a can of spinach, sit back, and enjoy!” And VMI Worldwide COO and Head of Acquisitions Jessica Russo, who negotiated the distribution deal, had this to say: “Popeye the Slayer Man’s dark reimagining of the classic Popeye character delivers a fresh take on a beloved icon that audiences will die for.“

The film stars Sean Michael Conway, Elena Juliano, Mabel Thomas, Marie-Louise Boisnier, Jeff Thomas, and Steven McCormack, along with scream queens Angela Relucio and Sarah Nicklin. Jason Stephens plays the title role.

Ryan, Miller, and Carvin produced Popeye the Slayer Man with Alexander Tucker, Nathan Todaro, and Alysa Blasetti. This is a co-production between Salem House Films, Millman Productions, Ron Lee Productions, and Otsego Media.

Will you be watching Popeye the Slayer Man when it’s released in March? Let us know by leaving a comment below.