Just 24 hours after the first version of Mickey and Minnie entered the public domain, Two new independent horror films emerged.where the famous mouse appears.
The copyright of the cartoon “Willie’s Steamboat,” a 1928 black-and-white short that made Walt Disney’s creation famous, expired on Jan. 1, after 95 years, according to U.S. law.
This circumstance now allows any filmmaker or fan freely copies, shares, reuses or adapts the image of the characters that appear there, including Mickey and his companion Minnie.
And some fans did not hesitate to use the image for new creations, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The movie “Mickey’s Mouse Trap” presents the chase of a masked killer dressed as Mickey, which follows a group of young friends.
A second feature film also plunges viewers into terror, with a sadistic rat attacking innocent passengers on a ship.
“We just wanted to have fun with all this,” said Jamie Bailey, director of “Mickey’s Mouse Trap,” in a trailer posted on the social network YouTube.
“It’s Mickey from ‘Steamboat Willie’ who kills people. It’s ridiculous,” he said.
This low-budget horror film is scheduled for release in March. In turn, director Steven LaMorte – known for “The Mean One”, a 2022 horror film inspired by the Grinch – told Variety magazine that he was working on his own “twisted interpretation” of Mickey.
This production does not yet have a title.
“‘Willie’s Steamboat’ has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies the potential for pure, chaotic horror,” the director said in a statement.
The two projects recalled the launch of “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey”, an independent production that gained prominence after the copyright of the first Winnie the Pooh books. [“Winnie the Pooh”, no original em inglês] have expired.
Disney, however, is known for closely monitoring adaptations of its characters and will not hesitate to take legal action if someone crosses the line.
Only the first version of Mickey, a skinny black and white mouse, is in the public domain. The colorful, rounder and more friendly character of later films is not exempt from rights.
Additionally, trademark protection means that any movie or product that could mislead consumers into believing it was made by Disney can be sued.
In a statement, Disney said it “continues to protect [seus] rights to the latest versions of Mickey and other works that remain protected by copyright.
Source: TSF
