The Popeye Problem

Sony Pictures Animation has a computer animated film based on Popeye in the works, I'm sure you've read about it somewhere. This film was originally scheduled for a fall 2014 release, September 26th to be specific. Genndy Tartakovsky, animation genius and director of the studio's highly successful Hotel Transylvania, is directing it. With how successful Hotel Transylvania was - a project that he salvaged with very little time - it seemed like this film would definitely hit theaters next autumn, right?

Wrong.

This past May, Sony Animation announced that film was delayed. To what date? All they said was 2015, so the exact date is to be determined. Sony Animation has two films coming out in 2015: The Smurfs 3 (which was recently moved from July 24 to August 14) and Hotel Transylvania 2 (September 25). Sony Animation has never had three films ready for release in a calendar year, only DreamWorks has achieved that feat.

This initially lead me to believe that Popeye would be Sony Animation's currently untitled fall 2016 release, but... It's also possible that Popeye will end up making one of the 2015 releases move. Plans always change when it comes to feature animation and scheduling.

• Popeye will take The Smurfs 3's August 2015 spot and send that unnecessary sequel to August 2016. Sony Animation may have only one film announced for a 2016 release right now, but they can always add another one. Not like anyone really wants The Smurfs 3 anyway...
• Hotel Transylvania 2 may end up moving, because Popeye is apparently far enough along to be completed in time for a fall 2015 release. Hotel Transylvania 2? We've heard very little about it; a director hasn't even been attached yet.
• None of the 2015 films will move. Popeye will end up coming out sometime in 2016 - either fall or late summer.
• Sony will go big and release Popeye in 2015 alongside The Smurfs 3 and Hotel Transylvania 2. 3 in a year!
• The project is in real trouble, and Sony won't have it completed for a long while. After all, The Familiars - once set for early 2014 - has been off of their slate for a while with no sign of it being completed any time soon since the director is handling another project somewhere else.

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