When Popeye came to Malta, the film set was 'full of cocaine'
Studio head said 'everyone was stoned' on the set of the 1980 Robin Williams film
The set of the 1980 film Popeye, which was shot in Malta, was rife with cocaine use, according to the former head of the studio that produced it.
Barry Diller, the former CEO of Paramount Pictures, was promoting his recently released memoir at a Q&A event in New York when he was asked by moderator Anderson Cooper about the most ‘coked up’ film set he’d ever visited.
“Oh, Popeye,” Diller replied without hesitating.
“You couldn’t escape it. They were actually shipping in film cans at the time. Film cans would be sent back to LA for daily processing. This was shot in Malta. And we found out that the film cans were actually being used to ship cocaine back and forth to this set. Everyone was stoned,” he said.
The film, directed by Robert Altman and starring Robin Williams as the titular sailor, was shot at a purpose-built set in Mellieħa. Now known as Popeye Village, the set is one of Malta’s most popular and Instagrammed tourist attractions.
The film co-starred Shelley Duvall, who died in 2024, as Olive Oyl.
we found out that the film cans were actually being used to ship cocaine back and forth to this set. Everyone was stoned- Barry Diller
The movie was a box office success which grossed $60 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation), nearly double its production budget.
Reviews at the time of the film’s release were generally negative but the film has been more positively reappraised over time.
Cocaine aside, the production of the film was beset by difficulties. The elaborate Sweethaven set was constructed beyond what was needed for filming, adding to the cost and complexity of the production, along with a recording studio, editing facilities and other buildings, including living quarters.
Popeye’s original muscle arms made of silicone rubber were difficult for Williams to manipulate and remove after filming, so two Italian artisans were brought to Malta to remake them.
Williams also had to record much of his dialogue due to trouble with his character’s mumbling style, partly as a byproduct of talking with a pipe in his mouth. The actor and comedian’s penchant for ad-libs led to clashes with the director.
The final battle involving a giant octopus was complicated by the mechanical beast’s malfunction. After the production cost rose beyond $20 million, Paramount ordered Altman to wrap filming and return to California with what he had.