Steamboat Willie Horror Movie Reveals First Look at Killer Mickey (And It’s Hilarious)

For those of you who thought that the monster in the upcoming Steamboat Willie horror movie, Screamboat, would be the stuff of nightmares, get ready to be disappointed as we just got our first look, and it’s uproariously corny. The film reimagines the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse – which entered the public domain on January 1, 2024 – as a slasher movie villain, and will have a theatrical run taking place between late January and April of this year. Screamboat is written and directed by Steven LaMorte, who 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 first official image released for the film depicts Screamboat Willie as an anthropomorphized rat that hearkens back to the original Disney character, complete with the large ears, sailor’s cap, and big-buttoned shorts. This version of the character even sports a black-and-white color palette, much like his 1928 counterpart. However, even though this is supposed to be a horror movie, Screamboat Willie looks more like an animatronic from Chuck E. Cheese than a grotesque killer creature. The blood harpoon he brandishes does little to inspire terror.

To be fair however, that is the point, as this film is a horror comedy. Playing Screamboat Willie is David Howard Thornton, most famous for playing Art the Clown from theTerrifier series. The actor is certainly no stranger to movies that blend blood and laughs, and Screamboat looks to be no different. Regarding his casting, LaMorte added: “Watching David Howard Thornton bring Steamboat Willie to life with the magicians at Quantum Creation FX has been nothing short of amazing — he’s hilarious and murderously entertaining. I can’t wait for audiences to meet Willie and experience the chaos we’ve created.”

[RELATED: Steamboat Willie Horror Movie Gets First Teaser Trailer]

The film follows a group of people embarking on a fun late-night boat ride in New York City, only for the night to take a bloody turn when Screamboat Willie goes on the hunt for fresh tourists. Will they survive the night, or will they become the next victims of this malicious mouse?

Screamboat is only the most recent project based on the now public domain Disney character, as last year saw the release of The Mouse Trap, which featured a killer wearing a Steamboat Willie inspired mask who hunting down a group of young friends at an amusement park. These movies continue the recent trend of filmmakers turning beloved children’s characters that are in the public domain into horror movie villains. There’s even a budding shared cinematic universe – called the Twisted Childhood Universe (TCU) – that launched with the release of 2023’s Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey. Upcoming films in the franchise include Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, Bambi: The Reckoning, Pinocchio: Unstrung, and more.

Screamboat releases on January 24, 2025.