Mickey Mouse is receiving his first horror adaptation just a day after Disney's "Steamboat Willie" property became available to the public domain.
Filmmaker Jamie Bailey released the first trailer for his horror slasher film, "Mickey's Mouse Trap," featuring Disney's iconic mouse. The horror flick is set to release sometime in March.
According to its IMDB entry, it's the story of a young woman named Alex finding herself trapped at an amusement arcade on her 21st birthday while a "masked killer dressed as Mickey Mouse" hunts Alex and her friends.
"Steamboat Willie" became open to the public domain on New Year's Day after being a Disney-exclusive property for nearly a century.
The eight-minute black-and-white animation was first released in November 1928, introducing the iconic Mickey Mouse.
Why are People Making Horror Adaptations of Disney Characters?
Mickey Mouse was not the first to receive a horror adaptation as soon as they were released to the public domain.
In fact, it is often joked how fast filmmakers release trailers for their own version of the iconic Disney characters as soon as the corporation's copyright expires.
Last year, "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" was released as a horror/crime film version of A. A. Milne's character.
Horror adaptations are often common for long copyrighted characters because it is an easy way to subvert expectations as the public has a long-established perception of these characters.
Another reason is that horror stories are easier and much cheaper to make compared to other genres.
As of writing, Mickey Mouse will also make his first appearance in the horror game, Infestation: Origins, by developer Nightmare Forge Games.
For Disney's part, the entertainment giant is confident that "people have associated the character with Disney's stories, experiences, and authentic products" that the film's copyright expiration will not change much.
Other Disney Characters Set to Release to Public Domain
Disney has already announced more characters from its roster will soon become available to the public domain in the next decade. Many of which are as iconic as Mickey and Minnie.
Here are the names:
- Pluto (2025)
- Donald Duck (2029)
- Goofy (2029)
- Captain Marvel (2034)
- Captain America (2036)
