If you spent any time on social media yesterday, you likely saw a good number of people talking about Steamboat Willie, the 1928 animated short that introduced the world to Mickey Mouse. As it happens, that Disney classic entered the public domain at 12:01AM on January 1st of this year, meaning that anyone can now use that particular version of Mickey Mouse however they see fit (using more modern versions of Disney's mascot will, of course, still get you sued through the center of the earth and back).
You can probably guess where this is going.
Yes, almost immediately upon Steamboat Willie entering the public domain, a brand-new slasher featuring that version of Mickey Mouse was announced via the trailer above. This is Jamie Bailey's Mickey's Mouse Trap, which Deadline describes thusly:
"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."
Given the horror genre's recent interest in public domain slashers (See also: last year's Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey), this was all but inevitable, and it's very likely that Mickey's Mouse Trap won't be the last Steamboat Willie-based horror jam we see in the months and years ahead. Indeed, it's only the first, as a horror video game (Infestation 88) featuring Steamboat Willie's version of Mickey has also been announced.
Mickey's Mouse Trap does not currently have a release date (also unclear: whether or not Bailey's film will be going theatrical or straight to streaming), but The Hollywood Reporter says producers are aiming to release the film in March. Stay tuned for more on this one as further updates become available, and in the meantime: stay safe out there. You never know when the next public domain horror project will strike!
