The Big Picture
- Steamboat Willie, the iconic Mickey Mouse’s short film, is getting a terrifying twist in an upcoming horror movie.
- The film will portray a sadistic mouse tormenting people aboard a ferry, with no escape options.
- The director, Steven LaMorte, previously directed a slasher film The Mean One based on The Grinch, preparing him for this twisted take on the beloved character.
A horror movie based on the Steamboat Willie short film is currently in development, according to Variety. Moving away from the family-friendly stories the mouse has been associated with over the course of decades, the upcoming project, directed by Steven LaMorte, will depict a bloody tale featuring a twisted version of the Walt Disney Animation Studios character. The upcoming Steamboat Willie horror movie will follow a sadistic mouse tormenting a group of people aboard a ferry, with the vehicle providing few options to escape as the victims are far away from dry land. In a statement regarding his intentions with the project, LaMorte talked about the tone of the movie, saying: “Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror. It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.”
Despite being widely regarded as Mickey Mouse’s debut, Steamboat Willie was not actually the first movie featuring the iconic character. The silent movies, Plane Crazy and The Gallopin’ Gaucho were produced earlier but failed to gain distributors. Steamboat Willie, released on November 18, 2028, entered public domain on January, 1 2024. However, the team behind the upcoming horror movie will have to be really careful with how they handle the property.
Though the 1928 depiction of Mickey Mouse can now be used by anyone, more recent depictions of the character or anything associated with it and its brand are off the table. Just as it happened when Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was made by Rhys Frake-Waterfield, La Morte and his team will need to focus on specific elements of the character that keep the project away from a Disney lawsuit.
‘The Mean One’ Prepared Steven LaMorte For ‘Steamboat Willie’s Horror Makeover
Before he set his mind to working on a movie where a sadistic mouse terrorized a group of tourists on a ferry, LaMorte directed The Mean One, a slasher story based on How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The film followed Cindy (Krystle Martin), as she tried to defend her village from a green creature that went on a murderous rampage during the holiday season. LaMorte’s experience with the movie served him as a training ground for what’s to come. Interestingly, yet another project based on the character enters development due to the friendly mouse entering the public domain.
A release date hasn’t been set for the Steamboat Willie horror story but stay tuned to Collider updates
