The is on a rampage, barely two days in the public domain.

Slashed free of Disney害羞草研究所檚 copyright as of Monday, the iconic character from 害羞草研究所淪teamboat Willie害羞草研究所� is already the focus of two horror films. On Monday, just hours after the 1928 short entered the public domain, a 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� dropped on YouTube. Another yet-to-be-titled film was announced Tuesday.

害羞草研究所淪teamboat Willie害羞草研究所� featured early versions of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, it was the third cartoon featuring the duo they made but the first to be released. In it, a more menacing Mickey, bearing more resemblance to rat than mouse, captains a boat and makes musical instruments out of other animals.

It害羞草研究所檚 perhaps fitting, then, that the first projects announced are seemingly low-budget and campy slasher movies 害羞草研究所� and not unprecedented. 害羞草研究所� sans red shirt 害羞草研究所� entered the public domain in 2022; scarcely a year later, he was notching up a heavy body count in

In 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� directed by Jamie Bailey, what appears to be a human in a comically small Mickey mask terrorizes a group of young people at an arcade.

害羞草研究所淎 place for fun. A place for friends. A place for hunting,害羞草研究所� text flashed during the trailer reads. 害羞草研究所淭he mouse is out.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淲e just wanted to have fun with it all. I mean it害羞草研究所檚 Steamboat Willie害羞草研究所檚 Mickey Mouse murdering people,害羞草研究所� director Jamie Bailey said in a statement cited by trade publications. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it and I think it shows.害羞草研究所�

No release date has been set.

The second movie is from director Steven LaMorte, who previously directed a horror parody of 害羞草研究所淭he Grinch,害羞草研究所� which is not in the public domain (the movie is thus called 害羞草研究所淭he Mean One害羞草研究所�).

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� is the logline for the untitled film, per a post on LaMorte害羞草研究所檚 Instagram.

害羞草研究所淪teamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,害羞草研究所� LaMorte said in a release cited by the trades. The movie has yet to begin production.

With the expiration of the 95-year copyright, the public is allowed to use only the initial versions of Mickey and Minnie 害羞草研究所� not the more familiar character designs.

害羞草研究所淲e will, of course, continue to protect our rights in the more modern versions of Mickey Mouse and other works that remain subject to copyright,害羞草研究所� Disney said in a statement ahead of the characters entering the public domain.

LaMorte that the producers of his film are working with a legal team so as not to run afoul of Disney, and will call their raging rodent Steamboat Willie instead of Mickey Mouse.

害羞草研究所淲e are doing our due diligence to make sure there害羞草研究所檚 no question or confusion of what we害羞草研究所檙e up to,害羞草研究所� he said.

READ ALSO: