Mickey Mouse slasher movie gets first teaser trailer after Disney copyright expires

Martin Macdonald - 2 January 2024, 10:32 Share

The first trailer has been released for Mickey's Mouse Trap, a new slasher movie.

As of 1 January 2024, members of the public are now free to use Steamboat Willie's version of Mickey Mouse after Disney's copyright protection of the character expired.

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It has been 95 years since the 1928 release of Steamboat Willie and that is the amount of time a copyright can be held, according to the United States Congress.

Director Jamie Bailey and writer Simon Phillips have taken advantage to develop their new horror movie, which will be released in 2024.

The official premise reads:

'It’s Alex’s 21st Birthday, but she’s stuck at the amusement arcade on a late shift so her friends decide to surprise her, but a masked killer dressed as Mickey Mouse decides to play a game of his own with them which she must survive.'

Crucially, Bailey and Phillips, and indeed any member of the public, are only free to use very first Steamboat Willie incarnation of Mickey Mouse, which means the character in the horror movie can't copy his famous voice.

“More modern versions of Mickey will remain unaffected by the expiration of the Steamboat Willie copyright, and Mickey will continue to play a leading role as a global ambassador for the Walt Disney Company in our storytelling, theme park attractions, and merchandise,” a Disney spokesperson explained.

“We will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright, and we will work to safeguard against consumer confusion caused by unauthorized uses of Mickey and our other iconic characters."

Any content that is created featuring Steamboat Willie's Mickey Mouse MUST not suggest it is affiliated to Disney, as they would certainly result in a lawsuit from the entertainment juggernaut.

Indeed, the trailer for Mickey's Mouse Trap features the message:

“DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT NOT A DISNEY FILM OR PRODUCTION. IT IS NOT TO AFFILIATED OR ENDORSED BY DISNEY IN ANY WAY. This film makes use of Public domain Steam Boat Willie Mickey Mouse only. Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse entered public domain on January 1st 2024.”