On Monday (Jan. 1), the “Steamboat Willie” version of Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse character entered the public domain.
The same day, director Jamie Bailey released the trailer for his upcoming horror-comedy titled Mickey’s Mouse Trap.
That’s right, folks: Mickey is getting the Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey treatment.
The movie follows a girl named Alex, who is celebrating her 21st birthday but gets stuck working the late shift at an arcade. When her friends surprise her at work for an impromptu party, a masked killer dressed as Mickey Mouse begins to hunt Alex and her friends.
“We just wanted to have fun with it all,” Bailey said in a press release.
“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,” he added.
The trailer features the tag line, “The mouse is out.”
Watch the trailer for the film, below.
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The movie stars Sophie McIntosh, Callum Sywyk, Allegra Nocita, Ben Harris, Damir Kovic, Mackenzie Mills, Nick Biskupek and Simon Phillips.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap is expected to premiere in March 2024. An exact release date has yet to be announced as of publishing.
Mickey Mouse made his official debut in Walt Disney’s animated short “Steamboat Willie” in 1928, 95 years ago.
As of Jan. 1, 2024, the “Steamboat Willie” version of the beloved mouse has entered public domain, meaning anyone can use the character’s likeness from that particular cartoon.
However, due to trademark protection, Disney still maintains its ownership of Mickey Mouse.
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Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita