Director Robert Michael Ryan’s much buzzed-about horror feature Popeye the Slayer Man is set to sail into theaters and on VOD via Vantage Media on March 21, 2025.
Directed by Ryan from a screenplay by John Doolan (Remains), the horror feature was filmed in New York State and is a co-production between Salem House Films, Millman Productions, Ron Lee Productions, and Otsego Media. Jeff Miller (The Toybox), Cuyle Carvin (Ouija Witch), and Ryan also contributed to the story. Producers include - along with Miller, Carvin, and Ryan - Alexander Tucker, Nathan Todaro, and Alysa Blasetti.
Reads the synopsis for Popeye the Slayer Man, “A group of friends 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, only to find out that the legend is all-too true.”
Popeye the Slayer Man stars Sean Michael Conway, Elena Juliano, Mabel Thomas, Marie-Louise Boisnier, Jeff Thomas, and Steven McCormack, along with “scream queens” Angela Relucio (Code Black, The Cabining) and Sarah Nicklin (The Black Mass, Garden of Eden). Jason Stephens plays the title role. Special makeup effects are supervised by R.J. Young with cinematography by Korey Rowe.
Said Ryan of Popeye the Slayer Man, a film which has been featured on Drudge Report, CBS News and outlets around the world since its announcement in November of 2024, “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.”
Added Miller, “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!”
Said VMI Worldwide COO and Head of Acquisitions Jessica Russo, who negotiated the deal, “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.”
About VMI Worldwide
Vantage Media is the global distribution arm of the established sales agency VMI Worldwide who is known for the representation of high-profile independent films such as A Sudden Case of Christmas starring Danny DeVito and Andie MacDowell, Darkness of Man starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, etc. VMI Releasing has found success in being a leading distribution partner with the goal of being the distributor by filmmakers for filmmakers. Vantage Media’s recent releases include Stellan Skarsgård’s and Andrea Riseborough’s What Remains, Bryan Greenberg’s directorial debut Junction, and Haunted Heart, starring Matt Dillon.