After almost a century of copyright protection, the iconic 1928 Disney cartoon Steamboat Willie, featuring the first appearances of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, has finally entered the public domain following recent changes to US copyright law.
With the liberation of this beloved character, it didn’t take long for creatives to transform the cheerful mouse into a horror icon. Three Mickey-themed horror projects have swiftly been announced, including a game and two movies.
Infestation: Origins, the game announced through IGN just hours after Mickey’s entry into the public domain, is a co-op horror experience where players act as exterminators tackling sinister infestations spawned by twisted versions of classic characters and urban legends. Naturally, Mickey is the primary antagonist in this spine-chilling adventure.
Originally named “Infestation 88” due to its 1988 setting, the game’s developers, Nightmare Forge Games, quickly changed the title after learning about its unintentional association with a neo-Nazi dog whistle. Apologizing for the oversight, the game is set to join the ranks of popular co-op horror titles like Phasmophobia and Lethal Company, with an early access release expected later this year.
Another chilling addition to the lineup is the movie “Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” touted as “the first-ever live-action Mickey Mouse comedy horror feature film.” While the trailer may not immediately impress, there’s an undeniable satisfaction in witnessing scenes that, until recently, would have resulted in legal repercussions.
Variety reports a third horror comedy, based on Steamboat Willie and currently unnamed, is also in the works.
This trend of transforming beloved children’s characters into horror figures has precedent, as seen in last year’s “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,” a horror movie adaptation that emerged after the character entered the public domain in 2022. A horror game, “Hundred Acre Wood,” based on Winnie the Pooh, is also in development.
Mickey’s situation is unique, as only the Steamboat Willie-era version has entered the public domain. This version of Mickey, known for tormenting other animals in the cartoon, offers a darker and more violent portrayal than the mascot of childlike innocence created by Disney. Despite this, it seems this is just the beginning of the horror-themed Mickey transformations, with potential for slasher villains donning Mickey masks and even twisted reimaginings, akin to American McGee’s Alice, where Mickey takes center stage in a Soulslike adventure. The horror genre’s fascination with Mickey Mouse is only just beginning.
