Another horror film using Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse as a villain has been announced. More details here:
Well, they wasted no time on this. Earlier today, we brought you the trailer for Mickey’s Mouse Trap, an upcoming horror film which takes full advantage of Steamboat Willie, the 1928 black and white animated film that introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, entering the public domain.
Variety now reports that there’s another Mickey themed horror film coming to our screens. This one is still untitled at the moment, but will veer closer to the Steamboat Willie iteration of the character. The film will follow a sadistic mouse terrorising the passengers on a ferry.
Steven LaMorte is on directing duties for the film, which is reportedly a comedy horror rather than a straightforward scarefest. LaMorte has previously helmed The Mean One, which was a horror parody of 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 press release via Variety. “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.”
“It all comes from our love of these characters,” LaMorte told Variety in an interview. “Filmmakers — we’re all kids in the sandbox. We love taking them and playing with them in different ways. It’s not a desire to ruin these characters or make a quick buck, but to love them and honor them and show them in a new light.”
The previous iconic childhood character that was shown in a new light was Winnie The Pooh in Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey. Critics pretty much panned the film, but it was popular enough to warrant a sequel which is currently in production. There’s also a horror reimagining of Cinderella in the works currently.
While the copyright for Steamboat Willie Mickey has expired but remains in place for later iterations of the character, Disney are going to be very vigilant about that mouse. The Mouse House has promised they will “work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters” as they said in a statement last month.
“We are doing our due diligence to make sure there’s no question or confusion of what we’re up to,” LaMorte promised. “This is our version of a public domain character. It’s a scary thrill ride with heart and humor, based on this character that everybody knows.”
We’ll keep you in the loop for more news on all Mickey Mouse horror films.
