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Disney Loses Mickey Mouse: Beloved Character to Now Star in Two Horror Films

disney mickey mouse steamboat willie
Credit: MM Trap Ltd./Canva

January 1 saw Disney losing the copyright to the original “Steamboat Willie” Mickey Mouse—and now the character is onto new, decidedly “un-Disney” adventures.

The fact that Disney lost the original Steamboat Willie copyright after 95 years of Mickey Mouse this year is all fans can talk about at the moment. The event is extraordinary. The Mickey Mouse cartoon is the foundation of, and the driving force behind, one of the biggest entertainment companies on the planet.

And now, the Walt Disney Company has lost its exclusive rights to one version of the iconic character: the original Steamboat Willie version, no less.

Steamboat Willie

Steamboat Willie / Credit: D23

Read More: After Only A Day in The Public Domain, Mickey Mouse Is Getting Brutalized On Social Media

Plans to See Mickey in Horror Films Emerge

Similar to the treatment Winnie the Pooh received after the copyright ran out for the beloved honey bear, the Mickey Mouse cartoon is also already being seen in a trailer where he takes on a far more horrific avatar. CBS reported a new movie, Mickey’s Mouse Trap, has released a new trailer.

And, “in the trailer for “Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” directed by Jamie Bailey, what appears to be a human in a comically small Mickey mask terrorizes a group of young people at an arcade.”

Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom Park

Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

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“A place for fun. A place for friends. A place for hunting,” the trailer reads. “The mouse is out.”

“We just wanted to have fun with it all. I mean, it’s ‘Steamboat Willie’ ‘s Mickey Mouse murdering people,” director Jamie Bailey also added in a statement. “It’s ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it, and I think it shows.”

But Bailey isn’t the only one who had an idea for a horror film. Steven LaMorte, who directed a horror parody of The Grinch, has thrown his hat in the ring as well.

Related: This Disney Park Replaced Mickey Mouse—Here’s Why

The logline of LaMorte’s film reads, “A late-night boat ride turns into a desperate fight for survival in New York City when a mischievous mouse becomes a monstrous reality.” Of course, LaMorte’s film is currently untitled, but it’s apparently in the works per an Instagram post.

“‘Steamboat Willie’ has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte said in a release.

Disney, for its part, has made it clear it will continue to protect the modern versions of the beloved mouse, only leaving the Steamboat Willie version up for public usage. “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,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement.

Still, seeing how creativity runs wild with this new development will be interesting.

About Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.

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