Popeye the Slayer Man review: He’s Popeye, but instead of popping open cans of spinach he’s crushing heads in this horror flick.

PLOT: A group of college students embark on an investigation into the legendary Sailor Man. Unfortunately for them, they find him.

REVIEW: He’s Popeye the Sailor Man! For decades, the animated character has delighted young fans. From the cartoons to the live-action Popeye featuring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall, he is an iconic and beloved character. And just like Winnie the Pooh, the copyrights have lapsed, sending the spinach-guzzling hero into the Public Domain. And my, oh my, Popeye is kinda pissed. With his puffy, bloated face and ridiculously cartoonish arms, Jason Robert Stephens is undoubtedly having a good time killing off numerous victims in wacky ways.

Popeye the Slayer Man is what you’d expect from a B-movie horror flick. It tells of the local legend rumored to be stalking the abandoned Anchor Bay Cannery – look for more than a few fun Easter Eggs. After plans surface that the city is tearing it down, a group of “college-age” kids decide to go inside to investigate the creepy stories of The Sailor Man. Sean Michael Conway is Dexter, and the gang he brings with him includes his BFF Lisa (Marie-Louise Boisnier) and a mysterious girl named Olivia (Elena Juliano). This crew of amateur filmmakers makes the work of Heather, Josh, and Michael from The Blair Witch Project appear near Kurosawa-level in their talent.

Once the group arrives and discovers that Olivia has the talent to pick the lock to get in, they find what you’d expect: a spooky warehouse. As they wander around with ‘Director Dexter,’ he sets up a few cameras, and they begin investigating. Meanwhile, Joey (Steven McCormack), Olivia’s jealous boyfriend, brings his buddies along to see what his girl is really up to. All the fodder lines up for a nice bit of slaughter, and the sailor man begins his reign of terror. And when it comes to the practical effects, they are certainly loaded up on some goofy gore.

If you are looking strictly for the red stuff, it may not be at Terrifier 3 levels, but it’s got the bloody goods. You’ve got a scalping, a man beaten by his own severed arm, twisted heads, and much more. Yet it’s not gonna keep you up at night with fright. Nah, this Popeye is happy with over-the-top gore and a couple of groovy cameos. As gruesome as it can get, the kills do tend to feel the same after a while. Popeye loves smashing heads. Regarding weird cameos, my favorite moment is a man seeking a cheeseburger at the local pub. I won’t spoil anything more about who that happens to be, but the reveal was too much fun for this viewer.

As far as a creepy location, Popeye offers that. And yes, the Anchor Bay shout-out delighted me to my core. And I even found several of the actors to be quite charming. Sarah Nicklin gives a solid performance, and I enjoyed Steven McCormack as “bad boy” Joey. Sean Michael Conway and Elena Juliano do fine work. And strangely, I found the odd relationship between Lisa (Boisnier) and Seth (Thomas) fun all the way up until their final scene together. Funny stuff. The two worked rather well together. While nobody will be sneaking away with “a surprise Anora win” at the next Academy Awards, they do what they need to do.

It sure sounds like a blast, doesn’t it? Well, as much fun as it can be, sometimes it felt like spoiled spinach. The characters occasionally make jaw-droppingly dumb decisions. Many of the kills are repetitive. Tonally, it was a bit of a mixed bag. Regarding the balance of humor and horror, it worked much better when it focused on the silly stuff. 

As for Popeye himself, Jason Robert Stephens is rather menacing when needed. I wouldn’t want to face this fellow in a dark alley. Although, as a whole, the character’s look didn’t necessarily send shivers. The script by John Doolan, with story credit going to Cuyle Carvin and Jeff Miller, has a few funny moments, but it ultimately felt a bit predictable. However, it has affectionately goofy moments of Popeye lore. And that’s when Popeye is the most fun. The Robert Michael Ryan-directed flick is best when it isn’t taking itself too seriously.

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Viewer Ratings (0 reviews)

We speak with Erica Bauza and Candi Milo about bringing Daffy, Porky, and Petunia back for The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie!

When people talk about iconic duos in cinema, they tend to bring pairings like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and Al Pacino and Robert De Niro to the table. However, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig are the ones I think about when asked to name an iconic duet. I’ve been asking the cinematic gods above for a new film starring two of my favorite Looney Tunes for years. This year, we’ve got The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, an animated send-up to the science-fiction films of yesteryear starring Daffy, Porky, and Petunia. What could be better than that for an old Looney Tunes head like me? Interviewing Eric Bauza (Daffy Duck, Porky Pig) and Candi Milo (Petunia Pig), the voice actors behind characters that helped pour the foundation of an entertainment art form I love more than any other genre.

During my chat with Eric and Candi, we discuss the pressure of carrying the torch for such legendary characters, the vocal recording process, reintroducing Petunia Pig to a new generation, other ideas for new Looney Tunes movies, and more!

One of the most excellent perks of working for JoBlo is occasionally speaking with your heroes, whether online, in person, or in character. I’ve spent most of my life as a Looney Tunes fan, and today, I’m speaking with Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Petunia Pig! Needless to say, I was screaming internally during this interview. I owe my love of animation, sense of humor, and affinity for classical music to the Looney Tunes. I’m coming up on 15 years at JoBlo, and this interview is undoubtedly one of my favorites! If I could tell three-year-old me he’d speak with Daffy, Porky, and Petunia about their new feature film, I don’t know if I’d believe it.

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is everything you could want in a new Looney Tunes movie starring Daffy, Porky, and Petunia. The film evokes classics like The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, and The Thing. I urge you to check it out! For more on the film, check out the full review here.

That’s all, folks!

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

From filming dates to plot and more, this is everything we know about the Maria Sten-led spin-off series from Reacher.

What Do We Know About the upcoming Reacher spin-off series centered on Frances Neagley? More than you may think. The Jack Reacher series starring Alan Ritchson has been a huge hit for Prime Video, and the spin-off has been in development for quite some time. From plot, casting news, and more, let’s dive in and look at what is coming up in the new addition to the Reacher franchise.

Who is Frances Neagley?

A key ally of Jack Reacher, Frances Neagley has been a recurring character in one Lee Child novel, Bad Luck and Trouble, the eleventh in the series, in 2007. Neagley was included in the first season of Reacher, based on the first novel, Killing Floor, which surprised many fans. Maria Sten’s performance became an instant hit with fans, which has resulted in her inclusion in all three seasons of Reacher to date, along with her own spin-off. A military comrade of Reacher’s, Neagley is often called on by the title character for her mission expertise whenever Jack finds himself in above his head.

Development is moving quickly

When Prime Video announced the spin-off in September 2024, development moved quickly. With the third season of Reacher already set for a follow-up fourth chapter, Neagley needed to begin production sooner rather than later. As we all know, development could have been underway for years before we finally heard confirmation, so it remains to be seen how much original material is being used for the spin-off versus coming from any of Lee Child’s published novels. Since Neagley has not appeared in Child’s books as much as other characters, the author has left a pretty open opportunity for this series to look at elements of the character we know nothing about.

Five actors have been confirmed for the cast

Maria Sten was given to appear in the spin-off bearing her character’s name, but because we do not know if this will exist in the same time frame as Reacher or as a prequel, it is hard to say who else will appear in the cast. We could see characters from the shared friends of Reacher and Neagley, including Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan) and David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos), both of whom appeared in the second season. The recent announcement of five new cast members includes Greyston Holt (The Night Agent, Riverdale) as Detective Hudson Riley; Jasper Jones (King Ivory) as Keno; Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Mortal Kombat 2) as Renee; Matthew Del Negro (Mayor of Kingstown, City on a Hill) as Pierce Woodrow; and Damon Herriman (Justified, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as Lawrence Cole.

Will Jack Reacher make an appearance?

With how often Reacher has called in Neagley to help him on his missions, I would venture to guess that we will not see Alan Ritchson show up on Neagley, at least not at first. To showcase Neagley’s skills and talent as a soldier and field operative, it would make more sense for her spin-off to center on her work without Jack Reacher. This could also allow the two series to develop into a crossover event at some point, which would be much more lucrative creatively than a quick cameo.

The series will be about a premature death.

Amazon did reveal what may be the plot of the series when they officially ordered the show in October 2024. The plot is said to “follow Neagley as she is rocked by the death of a close friend in a mysterious accident. Not believing the story, Neagley begins to investigate and discovers a web of lies that led to her friend’s premature death. Using the skills she picked up from Jack Reacher, Neagley will go on her own quest for justice.” The new official synopsis adds a little context and says “Frances Neagley is a private investigator in Chicago. When she learns that a beloved friend from her past has been killed in a suspicious accident, she becomes hell-bent on justice. Using everything she’s learned from Jack Reacher and her time as a member of the 110 Special Investigators, Neagley puts herself on a dangerous path to uncover a menacing evil.”

Maria Sten confirmed filming is about to get underway.

As part of the press tour for season three of Reacher, Sten was asked about the spin-off, which she said was set to begin filming that same week. She said, “We are moving quite quickly on it. The first shoot day is tomorrow. They moved fast on that one. That is how they had to approach it in terms of timing it out with the Reacher show. And it feels very much true to how my experience of the show has been. ‘Am I doing something? Am I not doing something? Oh, I’m doing something. Okay, great. Let’s go.’ So, it’s exciting.”

When will we see it?

With filming underway, we could see the Neagley spin-off as soon as the end of this year, or it could take the same spot Reacher’s third season premiered in and show up in early 2026. It all depends on how Prime Video wants to distance the premiere of this show from the next season of the flagship series.

Stay tuned to JoBlo.com as we learn more about Neagley and your favorite shows. What do you expect to see in the upcoming spin-off of Reacher? Let us know in the comments, click like, and subscribe to follow all our latest original videos.

New reports say Spider-Verse mastermind Amy Pascal and Harry Potter producer David Heyman could take over Amazon MGM’s Bond franchise.

I hope Hollywood mega-producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman take their martinis shaken, not stirred. Why? If things go according to plan, they could be the new overseers of Amazon MGM Studios‘ James Bond franchise. According to multiple reports, Pascal, who, while at Sony, brought the best-grossing Bond films to theaters with Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Spectre, and Skyfall, and Heyman, who sits at the head of the table for Warner’s Harry Potter franchise, could gain control of 007’s future after Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson step down.

Genre film lovers know Pascal as the mastermind of Sony’s animated Spider-Verse movies and the studio’s Spider-Man films, which starred Tom Holland as the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. Pascal helped weave the web of Spider-Man: No Way Home, an event film that grossed $1.95 billion and became the seventh highest-grossing film ever.

In addition to casting spells for the Harry Potter film franchise, Heyman’s latest project is The Rivals of Amziah King, starring Matthew McConaughey. The Rivals of Amziah King had its world premiere at SXSW, where the film received a standing ovation. JoBlo’s Editor-in-Chief, Chris Bumbray, reviewed the film, saying it’s “one of the most unpredictable and wildly entertaining” films he’s seen in a while. You can read Chris’s full review here.

In late February, Amazon MGM Studios and longtime Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli announced a shift in leadership as they ceded creative control over to Amazon. Under the new deal, Wilson, Broccoli, and Amazon would share co-ownership of Bond, with Amazon deciding the franchise’s fate and direction. While Perkins is not in the running to helm a Bond project, demand for his talents is on the rise as movies like Longlegs and The Monkey continue to resonate with audiences.

007’s fate has dangled from the edge of a creative cliff for what feels like a long time, with actors like Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Hardy, Dan Stevens, Idris Elba, Richard Madden, Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hiddleston, and more rumored to become the international superspy. Still, according to a leaked memo, the next Bond will be “British and male.”

What do you think about Amy Pascal and David Heyman being in talks to take the James Bond franchise over from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Jennifer’s Body fared poorly at the box office upon release, which co-star Amanda Seyfried says is the fault of bad marketing.

Jennifer’s Body should have done far better than it did at the box office, even if it was in the poster alone: a red-hot Megan Fox (already a sex symbol of the Maxim variety) in a short dress sitting on top of a desk that’s hiding a severed body part. But it didn’t work – and it’s the marketing itself that co-star Amanda Seyfried thinks is to blame for the audience not finding Jennifer’s Body.

Speaking with GQ (via EW), Amanda Seyfried said that the reason Jennifer’s Body only made $16 million domestically had to do with how Fox bungled the way to pitch it to audiences. “If the critics criticize anything, it would be the marketing. The marketing sucked. It just did, and we all agree…The marketing team cheapened it, like it was just, you know, a romp. A gory romp. I think they ruined it.”

Seyfried also thinks that the studio’s mishandling of Jennifer’s Body was ultimately a disservice to both director Karyn Kusama and screenwriter Diablo Cody. “Karyn is a fierce advocate of women in storytelling. She is able to enhance the relationships between women on film and TV. She’s able to mine everything she can, and she’s very, very human, and she’s very sensitive…We were expressing a certain angst in a very, very specific comedic way, in a very specific genre.”

While Jennifer’s Body fizzled more than sizzled at the box office, it has at least gone on to be a cult horror-comedy favorite. Fifteen-plus years on, there is even talk of a potential sequel, which seemed like it could have been possible much closer to the release of the original had it actually been a success with moviegoers.

For her “Needy” turn, Amanda Seyfried would win the MTV Movie Award for Best Scared-as-Sh*t Performance, beating out some serious competition in the likes of District 9’s Sharlto Copley, Zombieland’s Jesse Eisenberg, Paranormal Activity’s Katie Featerston, Drag Me to Hell’s Alison Lohman. The movie would also be nominated in the Best WTF Moment category.

Jennifer’s Body may not have worked out well for Amanda Seyfried at the time, but Joni’s voice is. The actress recently appeared on The Tonight Show and took time to show off her skills both vocally and on the dulcimer, doing an absolutely stellar rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “California”…With Cameron Crowe reportedly moving forward on his biopic and Meryl Streep set to play the older Mitchell, if he casts Seyfried as the younger version, we’d get the only Mamma Mia! reunion we really need.

Are you a fan of Jennifer’s Body? What do you think made it eventually find its audience?

1923’s Robert Patrick and SEAL Team alum Beau Knapp will play father and son in Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King Season 3.

Is Sylvester Stallone about to clash with a T-1000? I say this because Robert Patrick (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Peacemaker, 1923) will join the cast of Tulsa King alongside Beau Knapp (SEAL Team, Death Wish, The Nice Guys) for Season 3 of the Taylor Sheridan-created series at Paramount+. Today’s announcement finds Patrick and Knapp landing series regular roles, with production already in motion.

Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone) just after being released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a “crew” from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that might as well be another planet.

For Tulsa King Season 2, Dwight (Stallone) and his crew continue to build up and defend their growing empire in Tulsa. But just as they get their bearings, they realize that they’re not the only ones who want to stake their claim. With looming threats from the Kansas City mob and a powerful local businessman, Dwight struggles to keep his family and crew safe while keeping track of all his affairs. Plus, he still has unfinished business back in New York.

According to Deadline‘s exclusive report, Robert Patrick will play Jerimiah Dunmire for Tulsa King Season 3, “a powerful, forceful man with deep pockets in the liquor business.” Secondly, Beau Knapp will play Cole Dunmire, Jarimiah’s son, “a trust fund country boy with crazy in his eyes.”

The third season finds Patrick and Knapp joining Stallone, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Annabella Sciorra, Neal McDonough, and Frank Grillo, with Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany.

Tulsa King is one of Paramount+’s biggest success stories. Tulsa King Season 2 set a record for the streamer’s most-watched global premiere, with 21.1 million subscribers tuning in to witness Dwight’s fate. Tulsa King is one of many series from Sheridan, with shows like Yellowstone, 1923, 1883, Special Ops: Lioness, Landman, and Lawmen: Bass Reeves dominating the Western and Crime genres for several years.

Are you excited about Robert Patrick and Beau Knapp joining the Tulsa King Season 3 cast? Let us know in the comments section below. For more about what’s coming in the third season, check out our Everything We Know About Tulsa King Season 3 article.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

The final trailer has been released for the killer Mickey Mouse movie Screamboat, which reaches theatres in April

On January 1, 2024, the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse – seen in the animated shorts Plane Crazy, The Gallopin’ Gaucho, and most famously Steamboat Willie – became public domain… which, of course, means we’re now going to get multiple horror movies that feature characters inspired by Mickey Mouse. Within the first three days of the year, we saw the short film The Vanishing of S.S. Willie, a trailer for the slasher movie Mickey’s Mouse Trap, and an announcement that Terrifier 2 producers Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy and director Steven LaMorte, who previously made the Grinch-inspired horror movie The Mean One, were teaming up for a Steamboat Willie-inspired horror flick that we now know is titled Screamboat. The film had been aiming for a January 2025 release, but Iconic Events Releasing recently announced that they’ll be releasing it on April 2nd. With that date nearly upon us, the final trailer has made its way online and can be seen in the embed above.

David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown in the Terrifier films and brought the horror version of the Grinch to life in The Mean One, is playing the horror version of Steamboat Willie in Screamboat. Thornton is joined in the cast by Allison Pittel (Stream), Amy Schumacher (The Mean One), Jesse Posey (Teen Wolf), Jesse Kove (Cobra Kai), Rumi C Jean-Louis (Hightown), Jarlath Conroy (George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead), and Charles Edwin Powell (The Exorcist III). Filming is set to take place this summer, and the press release promises the movie will “feature a number of yet-to-be-announced cameo appearances.”

Screamboat will tell the story of a mischievous mouse that stalks a group of New Yorkers on a late night ferry ride, unleashing murderous mayhem on a relaxing commute. Can the ship’s motley crew of travelers find a way to stop a killer creature who has developed a taste for tourists? A previous press release told us LaMorte and the producers are “promising buckets of blood and unhinged chaos as their miniature mouse attacks a group of ferry commuters against the unmistakable backdrop of New York City’s iconic skyline. Screamboat will feature a mix of practical creature effects, miniatures, and cutting edge virtual production to showcase its very mischievous monster slashing his way through a ferry of fear.”

LaMorte is producing Screamboat with Amy Schumacher, Martine Melloul, and the previously mentioned Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy. Kali Pictures, Sleight of Hand Productions, Reckless Content, and Julien Didon serve as executive producers. The director provided the following statement: “I’m thrilled to be working on Screamboat with such a killer cast from horror legends to comedy icons. David Howard Thornton is bringing our mischievous and murderous take on Steamboat Willie to life like never before. I can’t wait for audiences to laugh and scream with us onboard Screamboat!“ Thornton added: “I’m beyond excited to join this incredible cast and bring Steamboat Willie to life with a horror twist. Screamboat is going to be a horrific and hilarious big screen thrill ride that fans won’t want to miss.“

Speaking with Variety, LaMorte said, “I’m so excited to share our mischievous monster mouse with the world. Screamboat is my way of paying homage to Disney while putting a sinister, yet comedic twist on the classic. Watching David Howard Thornton bring Steamboat Willie to life with the magicians at Quantum Creation FX has been nothing short of amazing — he’s hilarious and murderously entertaining. I can’t wait for audiences to meet Willie and experience the chaos we’ve created.” Variety notes that the practical effects used to transform Thornton into the murderous mouse were designed by Christian Cordella and built by Quantum Creation.

What did you think of the final trailer for Screamboat? Will you be watching this movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

A trailer has been released for the creature feature Big Freaking Rat, starring Felissa Rose and coming to VOD in April

Lionsgate is planning to give the horror comedy creature feature Big Freaking Rat a VOD release on April 25th – and with just one month to go until that date arrives, a trailer for the film has dropped online. You can watch it in the embed above.

This film comes our way from writer/director Thomas J. Churchill, whose previous credits include A System Devoured, Emerging Past, The Day of the Living Dead, Check Point, The Rack Pack, Nation’s Fire, The Step Daddy, The Amityville Harvest, The Business of Christmas, The Amityville Moon, Amityville Uprising, The Godfather Buck, and Devilreaux. We recently heard that he’s teaming with Anson Williams of Happy Days and Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills, 90210 on a horror thriller called The Three Killer Pigs.

The story Churchill crafted for Big Freaking Rat has the following synopsis: Ranger Brody, along with his niece and nephew, works on opening a campsite for the season. All seems to be going well until a gigantic rat, mutated by years of hazardous waste dumping, starts killing people and going crazy.

The film stars Scott C. Roe of The Terminal List as Ranger Brody. Also in the cast is horror genre icon Felissa Rose, who is best known for her performance in the 1983 slasher classic Sleepaway Camp, and genre regular Kelly Lynn Reiter, who has recently been seen in the likes of Camp Pleasant Lake, Clown Motel 2, Maneater, Slotherhouse, and more.

Churchill produced Big Freaking Rat with Steven Louis Goldenberg and Phillip B. Goldfine. Executive producers include James T. Bruce IV, Nicolas Chartier, Binh Dang, David Davis, and Adam D. Wright. Felissa Rose was a co-producer and Aleksandra Zorich Hunt the associate producer. This film was completed way back in 2020, and is finally making its way out into the world five years later, thanks to Lionsgate.

What did you think of the Big Freaking Rat trailer? Will you be watching this movie on VOD next month? Let us know by leaving a comment below. I was sold on watching this one as soon as I saw the title.

New episodes of Seth MacFarlane’s show American Dad! will no longer air on TBS after its upcoming season finale.

The adult animated series American Dad! is packing its bags and could head for a return trip home! According to Deadline, the upcoming Season 19 finale for Seth MacFarland’s American Dad! will serve as a network finale for TBS. The final, new episode of the animated comedy airs on Monday, March 24 at 10/9c, with plans to continue hosting reruns of past seasons in the aftermath. Additionally, reruns will continue to screen on Adult Swim.

Thankfully, the show isn’t going anywhere. American Dad! could return to Fox after leaving TBS, starting with the launch of its 20th season. Fans with long memories know this is not the first time American Dad! has needed to fly its flag at another network. The animated comedy premiered on Fox in February 2005 and made the leap to basic cable in October 2014.

American Dad! “centers on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith and the misadventures of his unconventional family in Langley Falls, Virginia,” per the official logline. The voice cast includes series co-creator Seth MacFarlane (as Stan and Roger), Wendy Schaal (as Francine), Rachael MacFarlane (as Hayley), Jeff Fischer (as Jeff), Scott Grimes (as Steve) and Dee Bradley Baker (as Klaus).

American Dad! burst onto the animation scene after MacFarlane’s Family Guy – another show that struggled with cancelations and network migration – took the pop culture community by storm. After multiple years and seasons of Family Guy, fans of MacFarlane’s “dart board” approach to comedy jumped at the opportunity to meet a new cast of characters in an alternate, more patriotic setting. At first, Family Guy fans warred with themselves over which was the better show. Eventually, everyone came to their senses, realizing that liking both doesn’t hurt anyone.

American Dad! stands proudly alongside other animated series like Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, The Simpsons, Hazbin Hotel, Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, The Great North, Archer, Brickleberry, and more, as a show that’s keeping 2D animation alive at a time when 3D and CGI dominate the airwaves and movie screens. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that American Dad! returns to Fox after 388 hilarious episodes.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

We’re proud to share an EXCLUSIVE clip from the Tim Burton docuseries that looks back at Burton’s first meeting with Johnny Depp

Last week, we unveiled the trailer for Tara Wood’s four-part docuseries about the life and beloved work of director Tim Burton. Now, we’ve gotten our hands on an EXCLUSIVE clip from the docuseries – and this one looks back at a very important moment in Burton’s life and career: the first time he met actor Johnny Depp, who he would go on to work with on Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows, and Alice Through the Looking Glass (Burton didn’t direct that last one, but he was still on board as a producer). You can hear about their first meeting by checking out the video embedded above.

As previously mentioned, Wood’s Tim Burton docuseries marks a special occasion because it’s the first exploration of Burton’s storied career that was made with Burton’s blessing. The presentation includes exclusive interviews, unpublished artworks, and a never-before-seen-stop-motion short film. Attendees of last year’s Tribeca Film Festival got a sneak peek of the first episode, with rave reviews circulating throughout the event shortly thereafter. Joining Tara Wood—whose previous works include the well-received Tarantino and Linklater documentaries—for her Tim Burton docuseries is a who’s who of Burton’s hallowed library of films, including Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, Danny Elfman, Danny DeVito, Christoph Waltz, Christopher Walken, and Mia Wasikowska.

When the trailer was unveiled, Wood provided the following statement: “Following the incredible response to Episode 1 at Tribeca and the fans’ voracious desire for more, I’m thrilled to announce the completion of the long-awaited Tim Burton docuseries! Tim tells his life story through his filmography, and the doc takes us on a truly inspiring journey through decades of cinematic history, filled with deep personal insights, passions, and struggles — the challenge is keeping it to four episodes!“

Are you looking forward to Tara Wood’s Tim Burton docuseries? Take a look at the exclusive “meeting Johnny Depp” clip, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

Disclaimer: Our JoBlo Media founder/CEO, Berge Garabedian, is one of the executive producers on this project.