Tartakovsky is referring to the firing of Sony Pictures Digital Productions' Bob Osher, and the hiring of Kristine Belson as president of Sony Pictures Animation -- who would have produced the Popeye film for the studio, according to Cartoon Brew.
On his canned film, Tartakovsky notes, "Popeye, at least, we put up a great screening, everybody really liked that sizzle, we got a positive reaction. I was in love with what we were doing, but I think the studio is going through changes and I don’t know if they want to make the Popeye that I want to make. So they’ve got to make a decision…It was hard to let Popeye go, but that’s the business.”
Take a look at the Popeye sizzle reel Tartakovsky refers to, below:
Adding to the Popeye pessimism, The Animation Guild recently indicated that Belson is looking to push-back any previously announced animated projects at Sony, allowing the exec to "put her own stamp" on the studio.
What do you think about a Popeye movie without Tartakovsky at the helm? Is Popeye even in any need for an update? Sound off in the comments below! Anthony Couto is a writer for IGN. He co-hosts a podcast about horrible movie sequels – called Here We Go Again – which you can “like” on Facebook. Ponder with him on Twitter at @AnthCouto or on IGN at TonyCouto.