Haunted mouse: Pair of horror films based on Mickey Mouse to be released

A pair of horror films based on the Walt Disney Company’s iconic mascot are set to be released now that the character has entered the public domain.

Mickey Mouse, who made his debut in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie, entered the public domain on Monday, New Year’s Day, meaning that content creators are free to use the earliest version of Mickey Mouse in any way they please. As such, a couple of horror films based on the black-and-white version of the character will soon be released to the public, with the trailer for the first film, Mickey’s Mouse Trap, already released.

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The trailer details a group of teenagers partying at an arcade when they are hunted down by someone wearing a Mickey Mouse costume. Featured in the trailer is a poster of Steamboat Willie and a film projector playing the short film.

The trailer’s description clarifies that this film, which has no release date, is not connected to the Walt Disney Company in any way and is using the Steamboat Willie version of the character.

Another film, which is not yet titled, was announced on Monday and will be a horror comedy about the mouse mascot terrorizing a group of passengers aboard a ferry. The film will be directed by Steven LaMorte, who directed the horror parody of The Grinch called The Mean One, and the film’s production will start this spring.

“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte said in a press release. “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.”

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A horror video game called Infestation 88 has also been announced, with Mickey Mouse as the game’s antagonist.

The use of Mickey Mouse in horror films comes two years after Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain at the start of 2022. As a result, a horror film titled Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey was released last year.