The Mean One director Steven LaMorte is making a Mickey Mouse horror movie inspired by the public domain cartoon Steamboat Willie
On January 1st, the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse – seen in the animated shorts Plane Crazy, The Gallopin’ Gaucho, and most famously Steamboat Willie – became public domain… which, of course, means we’re now going to get multiple horror movies that feature characters inspired by Mickey Mouse. The short film The Vanishing of S.S. Willie has already been released, the slasher movie Mickey’s Mouse Trap is far enough into production that a trailer has been cut together, and now Variety breaks the news that Steamboat Willie serves as the inspiration for another, currently untitled horror movie (Final Destination writer Jeffrey Reddick has suggested it should be called Screamboat Willie) that’s coming our way from Terrifier 2 producers Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy and director Steven LaMorte, who previously made the Grinch-inspired horror movie The Mean One.
This Steamboat Willie / Mickey Mouse horror movie is expected to start filming in the spring and will tell the story of a sadistic mouse tormenting a group of unsuspecting ferry passengers. LaMorte confirmed to Variety that the sadistic mouse will be referred to as Steamboat Willie, not as Mickey Mouse.
LaMorte also said, “Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror. It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world. … (This project and The Mean One) comes from our love of these characters. Filmmakers — we’re all kids in the sandbox. We love taking them and playing with them in different ways. It’s not a desire to ruin these characters or make a quick buck, but to love them and honor them and show them in a new light. We are doing our due diligence to make sure there’s no question or confusion of what we’re up to. This is our version of a public domain character. It’s a scary thrill ride with heart and humor, based on this character that everybody knows.“
How does this Steamboat Willie horror project sound to you? Are you interested in any of these Mickey Mouse horror stories? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Here’s a teaser image for this one:
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