All articles tagged with #mickeymouse
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Wall Street Journal
Disney's iconic character Mickey Mouse has entered the public domain following the expiration of its copyright, leading to new, unauthorized and gruesome interpretations of the character. These reimaginings are a stark contrast to the wholesome image traditionally associated with Mickey, showcasing him in violent and disturbing scenarios.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Fortune
Disney has lost copyright protection for the original version of Mickey Mouse, which debuted in 1928's "Steamboat Willie," allowing filmmakers to create horror movies featuring the character, such as "Mickey's Mouse Trap." While Disney still holds rights to later versions of Mickey Mouse and other characters like Donald Duck and Goofy, the lapse in protection for the original Mickey has led to the production of slasher films and video games using the character's likeness. Disney CEO Bob Iger is facing multiple challenges, but the emergence of these low-budget horror adaptations exploiting the now-public domain Mickey Mouse may be a minor issue compared to others.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Fox Business
As iconic characters like Mickey Mouse's "Steamboat Willie" iteration enter the public domain, companies like Disney face new challenges and opportunities. While the public can now legally use these characters, Disney's trademarks still protect many aspects of their intellectual property. The success of films like "Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey" demonstrates the potential for monetizing public domain characters, but experts warn that using elements too close to trademarked versions could lead to legal trouble. Disney and other companies are expected to rely on trademark law to protect their interests while also focusing on creating new intellectual property to sustain growth.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by HuffPost
On the same day that "Steamboat Willie" entered the public domain, a horror movie trailer titled "Mickey’s Mouse Trap" was released, featuring a murderous version of Mickey Mouse. The film, directed by Jamie Bailey and written by Simon Phillips, who also stars as the villain, draws inspiration from other horror franchises and capitalizes on the newly public domain character. This follows a trend of turning classic children's characters into horror villains, as seen with "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Washington Post
Director Steven LaMorte announced the production of a horror movie featuring Mickey Mouse as the villain, coinciding with the character's "Steamboat Willie" iteration entering the public domain. LaMorte's film will begin production in New York City in the spring, aiming to offer an age-appropriate re-engagement with the beloved Disney mascot for adults. This follows a similar move by directors Jamie Bailey and Simon Phillips, who released a trailer for their own Mickey Mouse horror film, "Mickey's Mouse Trap." LaMorte is developing a legal strategy to differentiate his character from Disney's current Mickey Mouse designs and plans to release the movie by the end of the year.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CBS News
The iconic character Mickey Mouse from the 1928 short "Steamboat Willie" has entered the public domain, leading to the development of at least two horror films featuring the character. "Mickey's Mouse Trap" and an untitled film by director Steven LaMorte are in the works, with the former already releasing a trailer. These projects follow a trend of public domain characters being used in horror flicks, as seen with "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey." Disney has stated that while the original versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse are now public domain, they will continue to protect the rights of the modern versions of their characters.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by MarketWatch
Shortly after "Steamboat Willie," the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, entered the public domain, two horror movies featuring the character were announced. "Mickey's Mouse Trap" and an untitled film by director Steven LaMorte are set to transform the iconic character into a horror figure, following a trend started by "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey." While Disney's modern Mickey remains copyrighted, the filmmakers are legally using the original character design and taking care to avoid infringing on Disney's rights.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Los Angeles Times
The iconic character Mickey Mouse, as depicted in the 1928 film "Steamboat Willie," has entered the public domain, leading to the announcement of at least two horror movies inspired by the character. Disney's copyright on the film expired, allowing independent filmmakers to use the early version of Mickey without legal repercussions, provided they avoid suggesting any association with Disney. The horror-comedy adaptation by Steven LaMorte and the indie slasher flick "Mickey's Mouse Trap" directed by Jamie Bailey are set to offer a twisted take on the beloved character. This follows a trend of turning classic children's characters into horror villains, as seen with "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey."
Originally Published 2 years ago — by The Associated Press
The earliest version of Mickey Mouse from "Steamboat Willie" has entered the public domain and is now being used in horror films. Two movies are in the works: "Mickey's Mouse Trap," with a trailer already released, and an untitled film by director Steven LaMorte. Disney's iconic character's copyright expired after 95 years, allowing only the initial versions of Mickey and Minnie to be used freely. Disney plans to protect the rights of modern versions of their characters, while filmmakers are taking legal precautions to avoid infringing on Disney's copyrights.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by NBC News
Mickey Mouse has entered the public domain, allowing non-Disney creators to use early versions of the character for the first time in 95 years. This has led to the announcement of two horror movies and a video game featuring Mickey, as well as a surge of memes depicting the character in various controversial scenarios. The character's newfound public domain status has sparked discussions about copyright law and Disney's history of extending protections for its intellectual property. The Walt Disney Company has not yet commented on these developments.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by CNN
Mickey Mouse, the iconic Disney character, is set to become the villain in at least two horror movies following the entry of "Steamboat Willie" into the public domain. "Mickey's Mouse Trap" and another unnamed film directed by Steven LaMorte are in the works, exploiting the character's newly available early design from the 1928 animation. Disney's modern Mickey remains copyrighted, and the company has expressed intent to protect its rights and prevent consumer confusion. This development comes after the horror adaptation of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey," which was also made possible by the expiration of the original character's copyright.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Ars Technica
Early Mickey Mouse cartoons from 1928 have entered the public domain, prompting AI enthusiasts to create a new image generator model that can produce images based on these cartoons. The model, available on Hugging Face, was trained on stills from "Steamboat Willie," "Plane Crazy," and "The Gallopin' Gaucho." While the AI-generated images are not perfect and the legality of using copyrighted training data remains unresolved, the move has sparked a wave of creative and potentially controversial uses of the iconic character's image. This development also raises questions about the legal nuances of AI-generated content and the implications of trademark laws on the use of the Mickey Mouse name.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Deadline
Director-producer Steven LaMorte, along with the producers of Terrifier 2, has announced a new horror film inspired by Steamboat Willie, the earliest version of Mickey Mouse, which has recently entered the public domain. The film will depict a nightmarish scenario where a boat ride in New York City turns into a survival horror experience. This announcement follows the release of a trailer for another horror film, Mickey's Mouse Trap, and a new indie horror video game, Infestation 88. While Steamboat Willie is now public domain, Disney has clarified that it will continue to protect its rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse. The trend of reimagining classic characters in horror genres is growing, as seen with the recent release of Winnie the Pooh: Blood & Honey.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by New York Post
A new horror comedy film titled "Mickey's Mouse Trap" has released its trailer, featuring a sinister Mickey Mouse as a serial killer, coinciding with the original "Steamboat Willie" cartoon entering the public domain on January 1, 2024. The film, which stars Sophie McIntosh and others, plays on the now-public domain character from the 1928 Disney short, which was known for its synchronized sound and marked Mickey Mouse's first appearance. Disney's efforts to extend copyright protection, including the "Mickey Mouse Protection Act," have delayed this moment, but could not prevent it indefinitely. The film's release date is aiming for March, and it represents a new, darker interpretation of the iconic character.
Originally Published 2 years ago — by Yahoo Finance
The iconic "Steamboat Willie" version of Mickey Mouse, which introduced Disney's famous mascot in 1928, has officially entered the public domain as of January 1, 2024. This development follows the expiration of the character's copyright, allowing the early Mickey Mouse to be used freely. For a detailed analysis of Mickey Mouse's copyright journey and implications, viewers can watch the full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.