Disney let a copyright lapse? That can't be. But it happened, as of Midnight Jan 1, 2024. Mickey Mouse became public domain. He is LITERALLY the face of one of the biggest media and entertainment companies in the world and now the world can just use his likeness for free. Since us as humans are exactly the way we are...24 Hours into Mickey Mouse and VERY specifically Steamboat Willie, Mickey we have 3 slasher/horror films announced. They all look like they were filmed outside of a major studio aka without very expensive camera and high priced actors....and im not talking Blair Witch Project/Paranormal Activity. These most likely will be bad BUT sometimes that can add to their charm.
Heres a run down of Mickeys first horror films.
• MICKEY'S MOUSE TRAP (horror film)
• Untitled film from Steven LaMorte (horror film)
• Infestation 88 (horror game)
Photo: Kim Kulish / The Image Bank Unreleased / Getty Images
We even have a trailer ready to roll for the lapse in copyright. Heres the first look at a Mickey Mouse horror film
I feel like we've all seen this trailer or at least could of exactly guessed what it looked like before we saw it. Like watching a Home Renovation show on HGTV and at the 12 minute mark of the show they "discover" some unforeseen extra cost that puts the whole project on the line (Sorry, that extra lighting fixture is going to have to wait)
Should we feel bad? Not Really, Disney is all about public domain. Frozen is inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen. Lion King is Hamlet mixed with biblical stories with animals. Fantasia is a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Little Mermaid, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Hunchback, Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and Cinderella are based on public domain from The Brothers Grimm, Victor Hugo, Lewis Carroll among others. Mickey himself is based on some public domain characters.
So, were about to see Steamboat Willie Mickey get crazy. I mean, literally everything. The market is going to FLOOD with Mickey stuff. If you expect it, it helps you laugh about it.
Cheers to Disney and their 95 year copyright character protection and this being to first of MANY Disney characters to go public.