Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicWell, that didn’t take long, the day that Mickey Mouse entered the public domain and no longer belonged to the Walt Disney Company, January 1, marks the day that we have officially been introduced to Mickey’s Mouse Trap, the new horror film that will turn the image of the loveable big-eared iconic of Disney on his head, turning him into a murderer.
If you are a Disney fan who has ever read or watched creepy pasta fan fiction, which was the original horror stories told and made by fans surrounding Mickey Mouse, just know, that genre is now becoming a reality.
After 95 years of belonging to Disney, Mickey Mouse has lost his copyright. Mickey was created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1928 for a little film called Steamboat Willie. The movie would be the first film to ever introduce synchronized sound to a picture, and with Walt creating the first-ever voice for Mickey, he had no idea what kind of icon he would be developing.
Recently, we have seen other Disney characters who have entered the public domain.
We’ve witnessed the creative liberties taken with cherished and innocent characters, exemplified by the release of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey last year. This unconventional take transformed the gentle, yellow bear into a merciless antagonist in a horror film. It’s important to note that such reinterpretations become possible when characters like Winnie the Pooh enter the public domain, allowing artists and creators to explore new and unconventional narratives.
Now, the same creators of Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey are creating Bambi: The Reckoning as well as Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare. Jagged Edge Productions is looking to transform multiple fairytales into terrifying movies, and they are well on their way.
So, when was it Mickey’s turn?
Fortunately for Disney, the entry of Mickey Mouse into the public domain comes with various conditions. Despite our collective association of Mickey as a single character, there exist numerous renditions of him. Only the original Steamboat Willie version of Mickey will be entering the public domain, prompting Disney to carefully monitor which versions of the character the public may use in imagery.
Then, on January 1, Nightmare Forge Games released the first trailer (via IGN) for “Infestation 88,” a co-op survival horror game starring none other than Mickey Mouse himself.
Now, we would see Mickey in a new, terrifying way. As we shared, “Mickey Mouse is recognizable, wearing black and white garb that matches his Steamboat Willie aesthetic. He chases players down hallways as they try to end a mysterious rodent infestation.”
Now, it was also confirmed a horror movie would be coming to life.
The Hollywood Handle (@thehollywoodhandle) shared the first poster for Mickey’s Mouse Trap, set to release in theaters “soon”. Additionally a trailer was provided for the movie.
First poster for ‘MICKEY’S MOUSE TRAP’.
Releasing in theaters soon.
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) January 2, 2024
As we can see in the trailer, the film takes place in an arcade (reminiscent of last year’s horror hit Five Nights at Freddy’s) with a group of teenagers. At one point, we can see Steamboat Willie being played on a projector, but the classic upbeat music is no longer associated with the classic. Now, slow cuts and loud music notes thud, twisting the film into something we could have never imagined.
We then see what appears to be a man wearing a black and white Mickey Mouse mask, who then proceeds to hunt the group of teens.
The synopsis for the film, called Mickey’s Mouse Trap, reads: “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 movie was directed by Jamie Bailey, who said in a statement: “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,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film stars Sophie McIntosh, Callum Sywyk, Allegra Nocita, Ben Harris, Damir Kovic, Mackenzie Mills, Nick Biskupek and Simon Phillips and was produced by Paul Whitney, Mark Popejoy, Alexander Gausman and Andrew Agopsowicz, with Filmcore’s Mem Ferda co-producing.
It seems that producers are aiming to release the film in March.
While the film does not appear to be created with too large of a budget, it is certainly getting a lot of chatter as the first-ever Mickey Mouse film to be made outside of The Walt Disney Company.
What do you think of Mickey’s Mouse Trap? Will you be seeing it?