M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. One of the most beloved cartoon characters of all time is now the subject of several new interpretations thanks to the end of copyright protection for the 1928 Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse.
As previously predicted, Mickey Mouse will now be used in a horror film.
What Happened: The year is now 2024 and as a result, Walt Disney Co DIS lost copyright protection over the 1928 short "Steamboat Willie." The character is now in the public domain, with people able to use the character that was the basis for Mickey Mouse for their interpretations.
One of the earliest is a horror film called "Mickey's Mouse Trap," which uses a Mickey Mouse-themed character as the killer, as shared by The Hollywood Reporter.
"It's Alex's 21st birthday, but she's stuck at the amusement arcade on a late shift so her friends decide to surprise her, but a masked killer dressed as Mickey Mouse decides to play a game of his own with them which she must survive," the film's plot reads.
The new movie is directed by Jamie Bailey.
"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," Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement.
There is no release date for the movie, but the report said producers are looking to release the movie in March.
The movie trailer shares a disclaimer that the film is not a Disney production and not affiliated or endorsed by Disney.
"This film makes use of Public domain Steam Boat Willie Mickey Mouse only. Steamboat Willie's Mickey Mouse entered public domain on January 1st 2024," the disclaimer reads.
"A place for fun, a place for friends, a place for hunting. The mouse is out," the trailer reads. Watch the trailer below.
Related Link: Mickey Mouse Goes Public: Disney Icon Enters Domain, Sparks Creative and Legal Buzz
Why It's Important: If you're surprised that Mickey Mouse will be the subject of a horror film, you shouldn't be.
Back in May 2023, this exact scenario was predicted after Winnie the Pooh and Piglet became the subject of a horror film titled "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."
The horror film starring interpretations of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet came after those beloved children's characters entered the public domain.
The movie saw the two characters as serial killers who go on a rampage after Christopher Robin abandons them with a "horror retailing of the famous legend of Winnie-the-Pooh."
That film came from production company that previously did horror adaptations of children's stories, including "The Curse of Humpty Dumpty" and "The Legend of Jack and Jill."
"Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" grossed $1.75 million domestically and $4.94 million worldwide. With no distribution or partner details, the new horror Mickey Mouse film could see minimal box office impact.
The Hollywood Reporter pointed to portions of the trailer resembling the "Five Nights at Freddy's" film, which grossed $137.3 million domestically and $290.9 million worldwide, so it could depend on distribution and how much attention the film gets before release.
Along with the horror film adaptation of the Steamboat Willie character, there is also a survival horror game centered on the character coming. Nightmare Forge Games is releasing "Infestation 88," a one to four player survival horror game set in 1988 and involving a rodent outbreak.
Disney has enjoyed several extensions of the trademark of Steamboat Willie, which was originally set to expire in 1984. Congress previously helped Disney maintain additional protection of the Mickey Mouse character.
Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk criticized Disney and its DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) as being "overzealous" last year.
An NFT called "Steamboat Willie Public Domain 2024" was launched on Jan. 1 with a purchase price of 0.001 Ethereum ETH/USD, or around $2 with 2,000 items selling out within an hour. The NFTs quickly gained interest and value, hitting highs of around 0.447 ETH, or more than $1,000. At the time of writing the floor price for the Steamboat Willie NFTs is 0.1097 ETH, or $259.86.
Photo: IMDb
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