A new Mickey Mouse horror movie is in the works, with the first picture of the terrifying lead villain revealed. The film, titled “Steamboat Willie”, is based on the 1928 short film “Steamboat Willie”, which entered the public domain this year.
The lead villain, played by David Howard Thornton, is dressed in a grotesque grey mouse costume, complete with giant Mickey Mouse-inspired ears, a mouse nose, long whiskers, and grey skin with folds and wrinkles around his eyes. The character’s head is topped with a large black hat, and he wears dirty grey trousers and clutches a pole with his rat-like hands.
The picture has received mixed reviews from critics, with some branding the film “laughably bad”, “bizarre”, and “lame”. Many have expressed their disapproval of the trend of reusing public domain characters in horror movies, with some calling for it to stop.
The film is set to be released in April 2025.