In 2024, Mickey Mouse gets horror filmfollowing the public domain entry of the iconic Steamboat Willie version of Disney's mascot. The oldest version of Disney's famous Mickey, which debuted in the classic 1928 black-and-white animated short, became accessible for artists to utilize in other projects just after midnight on New Year's Day. A few hours later, a trailer for the upcoming slasher horror movie Mickey's Mouse Trapappeared. This movie seems to have a little less of the magical family fun that Disney is so well known for. Mickey's Mouse Trap killer holding a knife Mickey Mouse, who has always been beloved, is going to become scarier. Two films that put a scary spin on the sensibility of Disney's most popular cartoon character were released on the same day that the character's first iteration became publicly known.
First up, there's the official trailer for Mickey's Mouse Trap, a horror film that was uploaded on YouTube on Monday and is based on Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie in 1928.
The film is scheduled for release in March 2024. In the teaser scarier, a group of teenagers in an arcade discovers a blood-stained jungle gym. The scene then shifts to a reel-to-reel projector that sporadically plays scenes from Steamboat Willie, the Walt Disney short that served as Mickey Mouse's first public introduction. In the following events, a person dressed as Mickey Mouse appears to be going on a violent spree across the arcade.
Jamie Bailey is the director of Mickey's Mouse Trap, which features a star-studded cast including Sophie McIntosh, Nick Biskupek, Allegra Nocita, Ben Harris, Damir Kovic, Mackenzie Mills, and Simon Phillips. Although a release date for the horror adaptation has not yet been announced, producersPaul Whitney, Mark Popejoy, Andrew Agopsowicz, and Alexander Gausman want to release it in March 2024. The announcement of a second, untitled movie centered on Steamboat Willie's Mickey Mouse came after Mickey's Mouse Trap. This project depicts a mouse torturing passengers on a ferry; it is unrelated to Mickey's Mouse Trap.
The second film's director, Steven LaMorte, stated in a press release that Varietywas able to receive that his character will not be called Mickey Mouse or reference Disney. “„We are doing our due diligence to make sure there’s no question or confusion of what we’re up to. This is our version of a public domain character. It’s a scary thrill ride with heart and humor, based on this character that everybody knows.- Steven LaMorte
Disney lost the copyright legal protection that gave the studio complete control over Steamboat Willie and that movie's portrayal of Mickey Mouse's likeness since 1928, when the work entered the public domain on Monday. Despite the later, more recognizable versions of Mickey Mouse, Disney still has copyright protection.
According to the article, LaMorte continued:
“„Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror. It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.- Steven LaMorte
Mickey and Minnie Mouse in their early incarnations could be seen in "Steamboat Willie." It was the first animation the Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks team had collaborated on to be released, despite being their third animated feature. In it, a more frightening Mickey, more rat-like than mouse-like, captains a boat and turns other animals into musical instruments.
Therefore, it makes sense that the first projects revealed are campy, low-budget slasher flicks, which are not particularly unusual. In 2022, Winnie the Pooh, without his red shirt, came into the public eye. Barely a year later, he was racking up serious kills in the microbudget film "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."
Mickey's Mouse Trap is a slasher horror movie with a Mickey Mouse theme. The trailer for the movie has been released. The Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse, copyrighted in 1928, became public domain on January 1, 2024. The internet and eager filmmakers are rushing to produce scary content based on Steamboat Willie in response to this news. Simon Phillips wrote the screenplay, Jamie Bailey directed, edited, and photographed the movie. Earlier today, a trailer for the horror game Infestation 88, which draws inspiration from Steamboat Willie, was released.