A Mickey Mouse slasher film is in development after Steamboat Willie goes public.
of Disney Steamboat Willie there’s already a second horror movie parody in two days from 2024. Another horror movie featuring the public domain version of Mickey Mouse was announced today. Diversity reports that Stephen Lamort is directing an as-yet-untitled horror comedy based on the Steamboat Willie. The premise of the film is the iconic production of mice hunting unsuspecting fairy travelers, which will begin in early 2024.
LaMorte is no stranger to public horror parodies. He directs The evil one back in 2022, a look at The Grinch. Last year we saw another of Disney’s public domain characters, Winnie the Pooh, star in a horror film, and it probably won’t be the last time you see the iconic mouse in shades of gray this year. In fact, if we continue at this rate, there will be 366 different ones Steamboat Willie parodies until we call it quits in 2024.
“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheery exterior lies the potential for pure, unbridled terror,” LaMorte wrote in the release. “This is a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character on the world.”
Disney Reacts to Steamboat Willie Copyright Expiration
It’s now a major source of easy laughs on the Internet, but Disney remains adamant that there will be no abuse of their other copyrights in these parodies. The company released a spokesperson statement claiming that while Steamboat Willie and Crazy Plane are fair game, the later iterations of Mickey Mouse and all his friends absolutely are not.
“Ever since Mickey Mouse first appeared in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, people have associated the character with Disney stories, experiences and authentic products,” the spokesperson began. “That won’t change when the Steamboat Willie movie copyright expires.”
“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by Steamboat Willie’s copyright expiration, 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,” they added. . “We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to protect against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized use of Mickey and our other iconic characters. “
So many Mickey Mouse parodies
Even with that said, people show up and roll Steamboat Willie parodies. On Monday, The Mickey Mouse Trap alternate trailer for a comedy-horror film starring the iconic mouse. The trailer features someone dressed as Steamboat Willie attacking a victim and lurking menacingly in her amusement park. The whole project dances on this line of parody, but as long as the mouse is gray rock and they don’t mention Disney by name, there will still be no consequences. THR talk to the film’s director Jamie Bailey about the upcoming horror project.
“We just wanted to have fun with it all. I mean, Mickey Mouse on Steamboat Willie kills people,” Bailey told the publication. “It’s ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it and I think it shows.”
The film now has a synopsis: “It’s Alex’s 21st birthday, but she’s stuck at the funhouse on a late shift, so her friends decide to surprise her, but a masked killer dressed as Mickey Mouse decides to play his own a game with them that she must survive.”
How many of these movies will be made? Let us know in the comments!
