Popeye Village, Film-set theme park in Mellieħa, Malta
Popeye Village is a theme park in Mellieħa, Malta, made up of nineteen colorful wooden buildings that line Anchor Bay. The site offers family entertainment, water features, small boat rides, and guided tours through the film sets that remain open year-round.
The film crew built this village in 1979 for the shooting of Popeye, importing timber from the Netherlands and Canada to create realistic sets. After production wrapped in 1980, the site remained standing and was transformed into a permanent visitor attraction.
The village was built for the 1980 Popeye film produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions, with Robin Williams as Popeye and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, from E. C. Segar's comic strips. Performers now stage shows such as a puppet show with five Popeye characters and Figaro the barber, and children can meet Popeye, Olive Oyl, Bluto and Wimpy.
Regular bus routes connect the site to larger towns across Malta, and parking spaces are located close to the entrance for those driving. A visit works best in fair weather, as many activities take place outdoors and the coastal setting is exposed to wind and sun.
The breakwater built to shield the set during filming runs 60 to 75 metres across the mouth of Anchor Bay. Construction consumed eight tons of nails, 7,600 litres of paint, timber from the Netherlands and roof shingles from Canada. On 9 February 2023 a boulder dislodged by Cyclone Helios damaged one structure; the site reopened on 3 June 2023.
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