After Winnie the Pooh - Mickey Mouse also becomes a horror flick
The famous Disney character Mickey Mouse is no longer protected by copyright in the USA as of the turn of the year. This means that no one will have to obtain permission from the Disney Group to tell new stories about the icon of US pop culture. However, there is one restriction: only the Mickey version from the mouse's first appearance in the classic animated film "Steamboat Willie" from 1928 has entered the public domain and is now license-free. Disney still holds the copyright for later, more modern drawing styles.
Trailer for the Mickey Mouse horror film "Mickey's Mouse Trap" released
The resourceful director Jamie Bailey and his team took advantage of this fact to release the trailer for his new low-budget horror film "Mickey's Mouse Trap" on January 1, 2024, the earliest possible date. In the film, a group of young people are terrorized by a masked killer hiding under a mask of the 1928 Mickey Mouse.
This is what "Mickey's Mouse Trap" is about
Alex is celebrating her 21st birthday, but as she has to work at an amusement park that evening, her friends pay her a visit. However, a masked murderer is up to mischief in the amusement arcade and chooses his victims from among Alex's friends.
In a statement about his low-budget horror, director Bailey explained according to "The Hollywood Reporter": "We just wanted to have fun with everything. I mean, it's Mickey Mouse from 'Steamboat Willie' murdering people. It's ridiculous. We built on that and had fun with it, and I think it shows."
In fact, the trailer for "Mickey's Mouse Trap" promises a meta-horror film in the style of "Scream" in places. For example, one character says that he will be right back, to which another character remarks "Well, he's dead", followed by an explanation of the usual horror movie clichés.
There is no cinema or streaming release date for "Mickey's Mouse Trap" yet. The rather unknown actresses and actors Sophie McIntosh, Callum Sywyk and Allegra Nocita play the leading roles.
Horror film following on from "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey"
The horror film "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" was only released in German cinemas last year, after the first version of the popular children's book character Winnie the Pooh had also become license-free. Although director Rhys Frake-Waterfield's work received miserable reviews, it managed to generate 5.2 million dollars in revenue on a budget of just 100,000 US dollars - a huge financial success. A sequel is also already in the works. The new horror film "Mickey's Mouse Trap" follows a similar path.
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- Following the news that the original Mickey Mouse from "Steamboat Willie" is now in the public domain, director Jamie Bailey saw an opportunity and released the trailer for his horror film "Mickey's Mouse Trap" featuring a killer Mickey Mouse.
- In the style of "Scream," the trailer for "Mickey's Mouse Trap" promises a meta-horror film, where one character mentions going to get something and another jokes, "Well, he's dead."
- Interestingly, the horror movie trend seems to be following the path of Winnie the Pooh, another classic Disney character, with the horror film "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" being a financial success despite negative reviews.
- Walt Disney, the creator of Mickey Mouse, might be surprised to see his iconic character transformed into a horror figure in the USA, after his character's copyright expired.
Source: www.stern.de
