Mickey Mouse horror film: Mickey's Mouse Trap release date as copyright ends on famous Walt Disney character

Move over Winnie The Pooh, Mickey Mouse has now entered the horror genre as copyright ends on the iconic Disney character. Here's everything you need to know about Mickey's Mouse Trap.

Mickey Mouse has been turned into a sadistic serial killer after his copyright laws ended. Cr. Into Frame Productions.

Following in the footsteps of A.A. Milne's Winnie The Pooh, many of our childhood's are about to be ruined with the character of Mickey Mouse about to be transformed into a sadistic serial killer on the big screen.

With film makers now free to develop screenplays that include the earliest versions of the Disney hero, a trailer for a new horror film which shows Mickey Mouse as a masked serial killer intent on ruining a group of friends special occasion.

Blood, gore and sadistic killings are expected as Mickey's Mouse Trap undoubtedly captures the attention of the public - and horror fanatics - and will hope to follow on from the unexpected success of last year's Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey slasher which garnered a lot of attention from cinema goers.

But why has Mickey Mouse been turned into a horror film and why has copyright on the Walt Disney favourite ended? Here's everything you need to know about Mickey's Mouse Trap and the copyright laws on Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Mickey Mouse horror film - what is it about

Titled Mickey's Mouse trap, the trailer for the horror shows a group of youngsters as they throw a surprise 21st birthday party for a friend who is coming off a late shift from working at an amusement arcade.

However, things appear to go south when a masked serial killer appears dressed as Mickey Mouse and takes on a sinister game with the group that will see some of them come to a grizzly end. The film is alleged to be a "horror comedy".

Director Jamie Bailey admitted: “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" he added.

In the trailer, the group of friends are seen enjoying the amusement arcade before one of them says: “There’s blood all over the jungle gym.”

Why has Mickey Mouse's copyright ended

Similar to Winnie The Pooh last year, the copyright on the popular children's character has now ceased, allowing film makers to include Mickey as a horror character. The reason the copyright has ceased is fairly simple which will now see Mickey enter the world of slasher serial killer movies.

In the United States, copyright law states works of corporate or pseudonymous authorship lapse into the public domain after either 95 years from first publication – or 120 years after creation, whichever comes first, meaning the character of Mickey Mouse is now free of copyright with copyright expiring due to the 1928 short Steamboat Willie. This now allows film makers to rework and use these earliest versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse without it costing them a single penny.

Mickey Mouse horror film, Mickey's Mouse Trap expected release date

Mickey’s Mouse Trap does not yet have an official release date but it is expected to land some time in March 2024.

The trailer for the horror film can be viewed here.