The earliest version of Mickey Mouse from 1928’s Steamboat Willie just entered public domain, allowing filmmakers free rein to give the character a new spin. One of the first projects to take advantage is a slasher flick titled Mickey’s Mouse Trap, in which the killer dons a Mickey Mouse mask while stalking victims in an amusement park.
As seen in the newly released trailer, Mickey’s Mouse Trap falls into similar territory as the Scream franchise, offering meta commentary about the horror genre. After one character says he’ll be right back, another comments, “Well, he’s dead. Like, if he was in a horror movie, you’d never say, ‘I’ll be right back,’ because then you don’t.” Watch it below.
The official synopsis 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.”
The movie was shot, edited, and directed by Jamie Bailey, who shared the following statement: “We just wanted to have fun with it all. I mean it’s Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse murdering people. It’s ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it and I think it shows.”
Simon Phillips wrote Mickey’s Mouse Trap, and appears in the film alongside Sophie McIntosh, Callum Sywyk, Allegra Nocita, Ben Harris, Mirelle Gagne, Mackenzie Mills, James Laurin, Kayleigh Styles, Jesse Nasmith, Madeline Kelman, Damir Kovic, and Nick Biskupek.
There’s currently no release date for the movie, but producers are “aiming for March,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap follows in the footsteps of last year’s Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, which was released after A.A. Milne’s original Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain.
Other horror-themed Mickey Mouse projects in the works include a currently untitled comedy directed by Steven LaMorte and a video game called Infestation 88.
