After only two days in the public domain, Steamboat Willie and its version of Mickey Mouse has been adapted by two different filmmakers into horror films. While the trailer for Jamie’s Bailey slasher take on the famous mouse was released yesterday, The Mean One director Steven LaMorte promises to bring a more creature feature feel to his story.
Many artists and creators have jumped on the chance to make their horror versions of the mouse, with even a video game titled Infestation 88 on its way. The Walt Disney Company still owns Mickey Mouse himself. The designs for Steamboat Willie and other older cartoons have been made available for the public to use. Disney promised that Mickey will remain an ambassador in the park and that the company will ensure they “work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and [their] other iconic characters.”
Bailey’s adaptation, titled Mickey’s Mouse Trap, follows 21-year-old Alex working a late night shift at an arcade when her friends arrive to give her a birthday surprise. Unfortunately, the group gets caught up in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a serial killer dressed as Mickey Mouse.
According to Bailey, the film is meant to be good fun for the audience and the crew involved. “I mean, it’s Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse murdering people. It’s ridiculous,” he admitted. Because of this, he wanted to show that everyone was having fun with a silly idea.
On a similar note, LaMorte plans to make this version of the famous mouse into a monster for his upcoming creature feature. The film will follow a crew of tourists struggling to survive a mischievous, killer mouse invading their late-night boat ride in New York City.
Like Bailey, LaMorte had as much fun with the project and compared it to kids playing in the sandbox. LaMorte noted that most would accuse people like him of making the film for a quick buck. However, he claimed, “We love taking our toys and playing with them in different ways,” honoring and showing them “in a new light.”
No official release dates have been announced for either film, though Bailey’s project is slated to be released sometime this March. Either way, no announcements have been made regarding its distributors or streaming.
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