First trailer for Mickey Mouse horror movie Mickey's Mouse Trap
Mickey Mouse is getting the slasher treatment after the first iteration of the beloved Disney rodent entered the public domain on January 1, 2024.
Not affiliated with Disney in any way, the horror movie Mickey's Mouse Trap has released a first trailer showing a killer in a Steamboat Willie's Mickey Mouse mask hunting down a bunch of college students at an arcade.
Directed by Jamie Bailey and written by Simon Phillips, the film is guaranteed to put an eerie spin on the childhood icon.
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As protagonist Alex is working a late shift at the amusement arcade on her 21st birthday, she's surprised by her friends who gather there to celebrate, but a masked, knife-wielding killer decides to play a game of his own with them.
Much like Winnie the Pooh's likeness was used for slasher Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey after the character created by AA Milne entered the public dominion, the classic version of Mickey Mouse classic version from the 1928 sound-synched film can now be used in other media without risking a copyright infringement lawsuit from the House of Mouse.
This has opened a whole new world of possibilities with the character, with a Steamboat Willie-inspired horror game called Infestation 88 also dropping a trailer on January 1.
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"More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, 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," a Disney spokesperson told Deadline.
"We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters," the company added.
As per Deadline, the trailer for Mickey's Mouse Trap is accompanied by a disclaimer clarifying the horror has nothing to do with Disney, in case any confused fans thought for a split second that the media conglomerate traded in children's animated films for gruesome slashers.
"DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT NOT A DISNEY FILM OR PRODUCTION. IT IS NOT TO AFFILIATED OR ENDORSED BY DISNEY IN ANY WAY," reads the disclaimer. "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."
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