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Public Domain Popeye Is Now “An Unstoppable Killing Machine”

The copyright gods didn't quite know what was coming when their laws made beloved childhood characters available to the public again. For example, how could they have guessed this the first time? Winnie the Pooh Since the book entered the public domain in 2022, enterprising filmmakers would turn the property into this property Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey?

Turns out the residents of 100-Acre Wood weren't too happy about being abandoned by Christopher Robin, and greedy versions of Pooh and Piglet took it out on the young man's college friends. As you can imagine, the reviews weren't that great (3 percent Rotten tomatoes), but the money was inspiring Blood and honey 2 that brought in even more money.

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These successes inspired the same filmmakers to make horror films based on available Disney favorites such as Bambi and Peter Pan. And why stop there – enterprising Canadians went in search of the mouse itself and created a horror-comedy version of it Steamboat Willie this year after the first Mickey short film entered the public domain. The mousetrap had to at least change his name Mickey's Mousetrap — Uncle Walt still controls at least as much of his character.

Now comes the latest horror comedy based on a childhood favorite whose copyright protection has expired. Shiver Me Timbers is another Canadian production, this time with a slasher version of that spinach-guzzling sailor, Popeye.

Here is the synopsis of the film: per JoBlo: “Olive Oyl, her brother Castor and friends go on a camping trip to see the Halley Comet meteor shower. But the night turns into horror when a meteor turns Popeye into an unstoppable killing machine. With exciting '80s slasher references and comedic twists, the film combines elements of horror and comedy in a fresh take on both genres. Shiver Me Timbers pays homage to classic slasher films while offering hilarious moments, shocking scares and nostalgic references that will delight both horror and Popeye fans alike.”

I'm not sure where this Venn diagram between horror fans and Popeye stans overlaps, but it's a good bet that there's a market for low-budget guts. And don't expect the blood flow to stop anytime soon. Several other children's favorites will enter the public domain in the next few years, including Mickey's dog Pluto (2026), Goofy (2028), Donald Duck (2030), Porky Pig (2031) and Daffy Duck (2033).

Even characters from upcoming films are up for grabs – I'm looking at you, James Gunn – Superman becomes everyone's hero in 2034. It doesn't take Dick Tracy (2027) to predict what's next: an all-star cast of cherished childhood memories being torn apart by chainsaws.

Sleep well, children.

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