Sony Pictures Animation’s has appointed T.J. Fixman to draft a new screenplay the latest adaptation of the beloved sailor man, write Popeye. The CG Popeye project finally seems to be moving forward after the halt taken due to Genndy Tartakovsky’s difference in opinion.
Being a senior writer for Insomniac Games, Fixman is one of the writers behind the popular Ratchet & Clank video games and has penned the upcoming feature adaptation from Rainmaker Entertainment. Having been tapped by Hasbro Studios as a creative consultant for their future TV and film notions, he is currently attached to a couple features in development, including Disney’s Gargoyles.
Sony’s Popeye was originally being guided by Genndy Tartakovsky, the mastermind behind Hotel Transylvania, but that version was not approved. Tartakovsky had been developing the project for years before departing over the difference between his vision for the classic character and the studio’s opinion.
The character of Popeye has remained a pop culture due to extensive features like a muscular body, typical sailor coloured costume, fondness for fighting, pipe-smoking and love for spinach to the rescue. With Fixman penning the version, maintaining this image and yet providing a twist to the well known tale is a task that the writer has to profoundly deliver.
