Mickey Mouse Trap Trailer: 'Steamboat Willie' all set with their horror-comedy; watch here

As Disney's 1928 short film Steamboat Willie enters the public domain, a teaser for Mickey's Mouse Trap, a horror comedy starring children's favourite Mickey Mouse as the antagonist, has been published. Steamboat Willie features early non-speaking renderings of Mickey and Minnie and is regarded as a watershed point in Disney's history. 

The pictures of these renowned characters are now available to the public in the United States, thanks to the expiry of Disney's copyright. This means that artists, including cartoonists, can recreate and include the first prototypes of Mickey and Minnie into their works without asking permission or paying expenditures.

According to the BBC, Disney underlines that recent variations of Mickey are still protected by copyright.

The forthcoming horror film Mickey's Mouse Trap, whose trailer release date coincides with the premiere of Steamboat Willie, focuses on a girl called Alex's 21st birthday. Alex is stuck working a late shift at the amusement arcade, so her pals plan to surprise her, but a masked murderer disguised as Mickey Mouse decides to play his own game with them, which she must survive.

In the clip, a figure dressed as Mickey Mouse, resembling a hockey jersey sans the lettering, assaults and follows a victim in a Chuck E. Cheese-like scenario. The trailer also includes the words: “A place for fun, a place for friends, a place for hunting. The mouse is out."

The trailer of the film, shared by actor Simon Phillips also reiterates, “THIS IS NOT NOT A DISNEY FILM OR PRODUCTION. IT IS NOT TO AFFILIATED OR ENDORSED BY DISNEY IN ANY WAY."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film, directed by Jamie Bailey, intends to embrace the ridiculousness of Mickey Mouse being a killer, showing a desire to have fun with the subject.

Sophie McIntosh, Callum Sywyk, Allegra Nocita, Ben Harris, Damir Kovic, Mackenzie Mills, Nick Biskupek, and Simon Phillips star in the film. Paul Whitney, Mark Popejoy, Alexander Gausman, and Andrew Agopsowicz are among the producers, with Filmcore's Mem Ferda co-producing.

Although the release date is unknown, the creators are aiming for March, and specifics concerning distribution and platforms are few. This film follows in the footsteps of last year's Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, a slasher film made after A.A. Milne's original work became public domain.
 

• Allegra Nocita
• Ben Harris
• Callum Sywyk
• Damir Kovic
• Mackenzie Mills
• Nick Biskupek
• Sophie McIntosh