Sony Pictures is planning to relaunch the classic character Popeye in a way that would put him back into the mainstream spotlight the way the recent “THE PEANUTS MOVIE” recently did for Charlie Brown and company. They’re planning an animated “POPEYE” movie, and they’ve just hired the man they think will write the perfect script for the project.
That man is T.J. Fixman.
Fixman’s star has been on a steady rise for quite some time, and it looks like he’s settling into the role of being “kind of a big deal.” He’s only 36, but has quite a diverse resumé so far. He has five films in some stage of development, at studios ranging from Universal, Paramount, and Disney. He was also tapped by Hasbro to head up their planned cross-platform onslaught of titles based on their toy properties. He’s written hit video games, he’s adapting “GARGOYLES” for the big screen, he’s got a “BAD BOYS“-style film coming out starring Michael B. Jordan, and has written the next comedic team-up between Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day, “ONE NIGHT ON THE HUDSON.”
Aside from all this, he’s also working on the pilot “RUBBER GUNS” for CBS TV. The man is quite in-demand.
“Popeye” has been around since 1929, and has been a staple in mediums ranging from comic strips to cartoons to live-action musicals. The spinach-eating, hopelessly romantic sailor man has endured as a pop culture icon, and Sony hopes to introduce him to a whole new generation of fans. He was last seen on the big screen in 1980, when Robin Williams played him.