United States: Ninety-five years after its initial release, “Steamboat Willie,” the first Disney film starring Mickey, has become public domain under US law. It came after Disney’s initial copyright on Mickey Mouse expired.
Now, everyone can duplicate, distribute, repurpose, and modify the early, undeveloped forms of the characters that show up in the movie, like Mickey and his girlfriend Minnie.
Disney had warned that it would protect its most famous character, but opportunistic filmmakers had been expected to move fast to reveal their own unofficial remakes and adaptations, and they did not let anyone down.
In “Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” a masked assassin dressed like Mickey will stalk a group of young friends through an amusement arcade, and in an untitled horror comedy, a sadistic mouse will torture gullible ferry passengers.
“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,” stated “Mickey’s Mouse Trap” director Jamie Bailey in a trailer posted on YouTube. It is anticipated that the low-budget horror comedy will premiere in March.
In the meantime, a “twisted take” on Mickey is being developed by director Steven LaMorte, who is best known for “The Mean One,” a 2022 slasher comedy that draws inspiration from The Grinch.
According to a press release, “Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror.” This untitled film’s production is scheduled to start this spring.
“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,” Disney said in a statement.
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