Here害羞草研究所檚 Mickey!
A Canadian horror director is riding a wave of viral buzz for turning Disney害羞草研究所檚 most famous character into a gruesome slasher flick.
The trailer for 害羞草研究所淢ickey害羞草研究所檚 Mouse Trap害羞草研究所� was released on Jan. 1, the same day the earliest iteration of the beloved animated rodent entered the public domain, and it害羞草研究所檚 been making headlines.
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害羞草研究所淲e kind of shook the world,害羞草研究所� says Toronto-based filmmaker Jamie Bailey, 46, who has been fielding interview requests from the likes of ABC News and Rolling Stone over the last few days. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been a wild ride. One of the craziest weeks of my life.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淢ickey害羞草研究所檚 Mouse Trap,害羞草研究所� directed by Bailey and written by Simon Phillips, who also plays the titular mouse, sees a group of friends throw a birthday party at a Dave & Buster害羞草研究所檚-esque venue, when 害羞草研究所渟omeone becomes possessed by Mickey Mouse and goes crazy and starts killing people.害羞草研究所�
The film was shot in eight days at Funhaven, an amusement centre in Ottawa, 害羞草研究所渙n a super low, micro-budget,害羞草研究所� says Bailey. He refuses to disclose just how much money was spent.
Bailey was born and raised in Cape Breton, N.S, before moving to Toronto in 2007 to pursue a career as a filmmaker. He began gravitating towards the horror genre because the films don害羞草研究所檛 always require major stars and can be made on the cheap.
害羞草研究所淭he great thing about the Mickey Mouse thing is we害羞草研究所檙e kind of injecting the two things 害羞草研究所� the genre of horror and taking a big name, which is Mickey Mouse 害羞草研究所� but we don害羞草研究所檛 have to pay for it, which is the magic sauce right now,害羞草研究所� he says.
The film was strategically shot in September so Bailey could drop the trailer as soon as the copyright expired for 害羞草研究所淪teamboat Willie,害羞草研究所� the 1928 Disney animated short that debuted the characters of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 shocked that we were the first people that actually jumped on it,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 shocked because anyone could have done this that makes movies. Anybody could have done it.害羞草研究所�
While Bailey害羞草研究所檚 film was indeed the first, an as-yet-untitled Mickey Mouse slasher was announced on Jan. 2 by director Steven LaMorte, who previously helmed a horror parody of 害羞草研究所淭he Grinch害羞草研究所� called 害羞草研究所淭he Mean One.害羞草研究所� On Instagram, LaMorte described the film as: 害羞草研究所淎 late-night boat ride turns into a desperate fight for survival in New York City when a mischievous mouse becomes a monstrous reality.害羞草研究所�
Bailey害羞草研究所檚 crew had to tiptoe around legal limitations 害羞草研究所� only the 害羞草研究所淪teamboat Willie害羞草研究所� version of Mickey Mouse is public domain, not the modern-day Mickey with the gloves and oversized shoes. The killer in the film dons a Mickey Mouse mask that looks exactly as the original iteration of the character was drawn, with pupil-less, small, black ovals as eyes.
At one point, Bailey had the killer doing Mickey害羞草研究所檚 iconic, high-pitched giggle, but he had to remove it because only later versions of the mouse did the laugh.
害羞草研究所淭he lawyer said, 害羞草研究所楾ake that out, you can害羞草研究所檛 do that.害羞草研究所� It害羞草研究所檚 little things like that that can get us in trouble,害羞草研究所� he says.
Bailey was inspired by 害羞草研究所淲innie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,害羞草研究所� a horror film by British director Rhys Frake-Waterfield released in 2023 after the original version of the beloved fictional bear entered the public domain.
害羞草研究所淭hey never got sued,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e making a sequel now.害羞草研究所�
He points out that the copyright for the original version of Peter Pan 害羞草研究所� based on J.M. Barrie害羞草研究所檚 1904 play about the character害羞草研究所檚 adventures in Neverland 害羞草研究所� expired on Jan. 1 and Frake-Waterfield also has a horror film in the works based on him.
害羞草研究所淚 think this is going to be a trend,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 going to be the beginning of something. Maybe in five years we害羞草研究所檙e going to be heavily oversaturated with it.害羞草研究所�
His film is not without its haters. Bailey admits the trailer has been getting skewered online for its campiness, but he believes the backlash is just par for the course.
害羞草研究所淚 find especially with 害羞草研究所楤lood and Honey害羞草研究所� and these low-budget horror movies that there害羞草研究所檚 a certain market for people who love to hate it,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淟ike, I can害羞草研究所檛 tell you how many times I害羞草研究所檝e seen someone say, 害羞草研究所楾his looks terrible. I can害羞草研究所檛 wait to see it.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟
And as for when people can see 害羞草研究所淢ickey害羞草研究所檚 Mouse Trap,害羞草研究所� Bailey says he害羞草研究所檚 aiming for a March release, although he害羞草研究所檚 currently in talks with distributors. He says he害羞草研究所檚 been offered everything from theatrical releases to opportunities on streaming platforms.
害羞草研究所淲e have everyone knocking on our doors right now,害羞草研究所� he says.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
