Sony has killed Genndy Tartakovsky's "Popeye" despite already releasing test footage for the movie. Breaking the news is the "Hotel Transylvania" helmer himself. "It was hard to let 'Popeye' go, but that's the business," he opens up, according to AceShowbiz.

"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," he says.

The changes Sony Pictures recently had include Tom Rothman stepping in as chairman to replace Amy Pascal following a hacking scandal in connection with Seth Rogen's comedy "The Interview".

"So they've got to make a decision," Tartakovsky explains to Moviefone. "Right now, I'm off that project and moving on to the other one," he adds, referring to a movie called "Can You Imagine?"

Although no director is attached to "Popeye", the studio insists the movie is still in development.