Screamboat Willie? Mickey Mouse horror films lurk as cartoon enters public domain

Los Angeles — Who's the newest horror star that's coming to the screen?

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.

At least two Mickey Mouse-inspired horror movies have been announced since 1928's "Steamboat Willie" — which features the earliest version of the iconic character — entered the public domain.

Disney's copyright ownership of the seminal short film, which marked the screen debuts of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, officially expired Monday. The classic cartoon stars the beloved mascot as the whistling, rascally pilot of a steamboat floating down a river.

Now that the prototype for perhaps the most famous animated figure of all time is up for grabs, independent filmmakers have wasted no time capitalizing on the opportunity.

Director and producer Steven LaMorte confirmed Tuesday in a news release that he is helming a horror-comedy adaptation of "Steamboat Willie," about a "mischievous" and "monstrous" mouse with a "taste for tourists" who terrorizes the passengers and crew members of a boat off the coast of New York City.

LaMorte previously directed and produced "The Mean One," a 2022 horror-comedy film based on Dr. Seuss' the Grinch.

"'Steamboat Willie' has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror," LaMorte said in a statement. "It's a project I've been dreaming of, and I can't wait to unleash our twisted take on this beloved character to the world."

Earlier this week, a trailer for "Mickey's Mouse Trap" — an indie slasher flick about a masked killer disguised as Mickey Mouse who hunts down innocent amusement park guests and employees — surfaced on YouTube. Directed by Jamie Bailey, "Mickey's Mouse Trap" is tentatively set to open in March.

"We just wanted to have fun with it all," Bailey said in a statement. "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."

Representatives for Disney did not immediately respond Tuesday to the Times' request for comment.

"Ever since Mickey Mouse's first appearance in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, people have associated the character with Disney's stories, experiences, and authentic products," a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to the Associated Press. "That will not change when the copyright in the Steamboat Willie film expires."

"More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright," the statement continued, "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."

The cuddly children's character to bloodthirsty horror movie villain transformation seems to be becoming somewhat of a trend in pop culture.

Shortly after A.A. Milne's "Winnie-the-Pooh" entered the public domain in 2022, Altitude Film Distribution released "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," a low-budget slasher about the silly ol' bear and his pals seeking violent revenge on their old friend Christopher Robin in the Hundred Acre Wood. After the movie scared up $1.8 million in the United States and Canada last year, a sequel to "Blood and Honey" is scheduled to be released in February, according to the Hollywood Reporter.