Once a copyright ownership of something expires, that thing becomes public domain and anyone can use it any way they wish to use it.
This was the case with Winnie the Pooh when the horror film, Blood and Honey, came out last year. The Winnie the Pooh slasher film was based on the story of Pooh Bear and Piglet going on a murder rampage when Christopher Robin abandons them.
The movie is pretty gory and I’m not exactly sure how to feel about it.
This time around, it’s none other than Mickey Mouse himself.
If you remember the classic Disney short film, Steamboat Willie, you’ll remember that it features at the beginning of Disney movies that were released several years ago.
It’s been 95 years and the ownership for that expired on New Years Day this year which means that the early versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse that were featured in their first screenings can be used in any way by anybody without costing them anything.
Following the expiration of Disney’s copyright ownership over Mickey Mouse, a horror film, Mickey’s Mouse Trap, and video game, Infestation: Origins, is set to be released soon.
This was just announced merely hours after the expiration of the copyright ownership, which kind of makes me feel like people were already just waiting for the body without even letting it get cold yet.
The horror movie and video game will feature scenes from Steamboat Willie and is set to release in March.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap trailer has already dropped on YouTube and the makers are calling it the “first ever live-action Mickey Mouse comedy horror feature film”.
The movie is about a group of friends that want to throw one of their friends a surprise birthday for his 21st at the amusement park that she is doing a late night shift for and there is a killer wearing the mask of Mickey Mouse who hunts them down while they’re at it.
The trailer seems like a fun movie about friends and bonding until one of the friends exclaims that there is blood on the jungle gym.
This changes the tone of the whole trailer finally showing that the movie has a more sinister vibe than it gives off.
Clips of Steamboat Willie will play throughout the movie and frankly, I don’t know how to feel about all of this.
There is also another horror film that is set to be made later on in the year that’s also inspired by Steamboat Willie, but that’s a story for another day.
Let us know in the comments how you feel about one of the most beloved characters from our childhood turning out to be nightmare fuel.
