Now that Steamboat Willie has entered the public domain, a new trailer has been released for an upcoming Mickey Mouse horror movie. The upcoming film is titled Mickey’s Mouse Trap.
According to the film’s synopsis (via The Hollywood Reporter), the film follows a girl named Alex on her 21st birthday. Although it’s her birthday, Alex is stuck having to work the late shift at an amusement arcade. Her friends then surprise her at the arcade to help her celebrate her birthday. However, the group is later attacked by a murderer dressed as Mickey Mouse.
The film even features footage of the Steamboat Willie cartoon being shown from a film projector.
According to Deadline, Mickey’s Mouse Trap was directed by Jamie Bailey. The film’s screenplay was written by Simon Phillips.
“We just wanted to have fun with it all,” Bailey said about the film. “I mean it’s Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse murdering people. It’s ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it and I think it shows.”
Steamboat Willie entered the public domain on January 1. The short was the first cartoon starring Mickey Mouse to be distributed. Plane Crazy, the first Mickey Mouse short that was produced, also entered the public domain.
Although the version of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie is available for anyone to use, the more evolved version of the character who has appeared in projects like Mickey’s Christmas Carol, House of Mouse, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still under the control of Disney.
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise,” said a Disney spokesperson. “We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters.”
Another classic children’s character who starred in a horror movie after entering the public domain was Winnie-the-Pooh. After the original book by A. A. Milne entered the public domain in 2022, the horror movie Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was released in 2023. Although the movie was panned by critics, the film went on to make almost $6 million against a budget of less than $100,000. A sequel is scheduled to be released on February 14.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap isn’t the only upcoming Mickey Mouse horror movie. Another film has also been announced, which will be directed by Steven LaMorte. LaMorte previously directed 2022’s The Mean One, which was a horror parody of How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
In LaMorte’s film, Mickey, who will be called Steamboat Willie, will terrorize a group of ferry passengers.
“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte said about the film. “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.”
Although Mickey’s Mouse Trap does not yet have a release date, the producers of the film are hoping that it will come out in March. The trailer for the film can be watched below:
