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(NewsNation) — Two days into the new year, 2024 is already giving Americans nightmares as Walt Disney’s beloved Mickey Mouse becomes horror’s latest villain.
As of Monday, the Disney icon waltzed into the public domain — or at least, the 1928 version of him has.
Thousands of copyrighted works from 1928 became public domain in the United States, meaning they are free for everyone to copy, share or use to build upon. Among those works is the first iteration of Mickey Mouse, otherwise known as “Steamboat Willie.”
The black-and-white classic animation is the first feature animation showing what would become the iconic Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
But now, it’s the inspiration behind a new slasher film: “Mickey’s Mouse Trap.”
Shortly after the copyright infringement expired, a trailer for the movie hit the internet by storm, featuring clips from the original “Steamboat Willie.”
The trailer introduced a new villain, a killer who wears a mask that looks exactly like the 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoon.
“We just wanted to have fun with it all. 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,” the film’s director Jamie Bailey said in a statement.
The film does not yet have a release date, but a report by The Hollywood Reporter said the producers were aiming for a March release. This comes after two other beloved Disney characters, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet, appeared in their own horror film, “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey.” A sequel is reportedly in the works and set to be released later in 2024, with the cast including a role for Tigger.
“Steamboat Willie” is also the inspiration for an upcoming horror game, “Infestation 88,” BBC reports. Based on a trailer for the game, produced by Nightmare Forge, players will have to fight a rat infestation that appears to include a giant “Steamboat Willie”-like villain.
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