Terrifier’s Art The Clown actor David Howard Thornton has turned an animated legend into a horror star in new film Screamboat. Check out the first look at murderous rendition of Mickey Mouse below.
READ MORE: ‘Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey’ review: this teddy bear slasher is no picnic
While Disney retains exclusive rights to its depiction of Mickey Mouse from its own works, the character as depicted in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie entered public domain at the beginning of 2024, meaning that specific version can be used for non-Disney productions.
The situation is similar to 2023’s Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey, which became a cult hit due to its portrayal of the lovable bear being re-imagined as a serial killer. The film made $7.7million from a $100,000 budget, and spawned The Twisted Childhood Universe, franchise of horror movies starring normally family friendly characters.
The official Synopsis for this new film reads: “Screamboat follows a group of New Yorkers on a late-night ferry ride that turns deadly when a mischievous mouse begins a rampage, targeting unsuspecting passengers. The unlikely crew must band together to thwart the murderous menace before their relaxing commute turns into a nightmare.”
‘Screamboat’ First Look: ‘Terrifier’ Star David Howard Thornton Transforms Into Killer Steamboat Willie as Release Date Moves to April (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/wFZkzyYhOv
— Variety (@Variety) January 13, 2025
Writer-director Steven LaMorte told Variety: “I’m so excited to share our mischievous monster mouse with the world. Screamboat is my way of paying homage to Disney while putting a sinister, yet comedic twist on the classic”.
The filmmaker said of Thornton: “he’s hilarious and murderously entertaining. I can’t wait for audiences to meet Willie and experience the chaos we’ve created”. The film is scheduled for release in April 2025 in the US, with a UK date yet to be announced.
Last year, Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey star Natasha Tosin said that it felt “amazing” for the movie to win Worst Picture at the annual Razzie Awards (the ‘anti-Oscars’ celebrating the worst films of the year). The film’s director, Rhys Frake-Waterfield, also shared that he received death threats for making the film.
Earlier this year it was confirmed that other iconic figures from 1929 are now free from copyright protection as of 2025, including Popeye and TinTin (as well as his dog Snowy). Already, three horror films around Popeye are reportedly in the works.
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