Hardly a day has passed since Disney’s original copyright on Mickey Mouse ran out when two brand-new independent horror movies starring the lovable mouse have been revealed.
Ninety-five years after its initial release, “Steamboat Willie,” the first Disney film starring Mickey, became public domain on Monday under US law.
This implies that everyone can now freely duplicate, distribute, repurpose, and modify the rudimentary, early forms of the characters that show up in the movie, such as Mickey and his fiancée Minnie.
Disney had warned that it would protect its most famous figure, but sly filmmakers had been anticipated to move fast to reveal their own unofficial remakes and adaptations, and they did not let anyone down.
A masked assassin dressed like Mickey will chase a group of young pals through an amusement arcade in “Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” while an untitled horror-comedy would depict a nasty mouse torturing gullible ferry passengers.
In a YouTube clip for “Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” director Jamie Bailey stated, “We just wanted to have fun with it all.” “Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse is killing people, really. It’s absurd. We took it and ran with it, and I believe it shows.”
March is when the low-budget horror-comedy is scheduled to premiere. In the meantime, “twisted take” on Mickey is being developed by director Steven LaMorte, who is best known for “The Mean One,” a 2022 horror comedy that draws inspiration from The Grinch.
March is when the low-budget horror-comedy is scheduled to premiere. In the meantime, “twisted take” on Mickey is being developed by director Steven LaMorte, who is best known for “The Mean One,” a 2022 horror comedy that draws inspiration from The Grinch.
He stated in a press release, “‘Steamboat Willie’ has delighted generations, but beneath that happy exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror.” The film’s untitled production is scheduled to start this spring.
The two endeavors bear similarities to “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey,” a low-budget horror movie that made waves in 2017 following the expiration of the copyright for the first two A.A. Milne novels.
As per analysts, Disney is expected to keep a tight eye on matters and may bring in legal counsel if there are any missteps. The public domain only includes the original black-and-white image of Mickey; it does not include the vibrant figure from later Disney productions like “Fantasia.”
Furthermore, due to trademark rights, any movie or anything that might trick viewers into believing it was created by Disney might be held accountable.
“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,” stated a statement from Disney.
LaMorte, however, told Variety that he was unconcerned. “We are doing our due diligence to make sure there’s no question or confusion of what we’re up to,” he stated. “This is our version of a public domain character.”
