HereB次元官网网址檚 Mickey!
A Canadian horror director is riding a wave of viral buzz for turning DisneyB次元官网网址檚 most famous character into a gruesome slasher flick.
The trailer for B次元官网网址淢ickeyB次元官网网址檚 Mouse TrapB次元官网网址� was released on Jan. 1, the same day the earliest iteration of the beloved animated rodent entered the public domain, and itB次元官网网址檚 been making headlines.
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B次元官网网址淲e kind of shook the world,B次元官网网址� says Toronto-based filmmaker Jamie Bailey, 46, who has been fielding interview requests from the likes of ABC B次元官网网址 and Rolling Stone over the last few days. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a wild ride. One of the craziest weeks of my life.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淢ickeyB次元官网网址檚 Mouse Trap,B次元官网网址� 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 & BusterB次元官网网址檚-esque venue, when B次元官网网址渟omeone becomes possessed by Mickey Mouse and goes crazy and starts killing people.B次元官网网址�
The film was shot in eight days at Funhaven, an amusement centre in Ottawa, B次元官网网址渙n a super low, micro-budget,B次元官网网址� 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 donB次元官网网址檛 always require major stars and can be made on the cheap.
B次元官网网址淭he great thing about the Mickey Mouse thing is weB次元官网网址檙e kind of injecting the two things B次元官网网址� the genre of horror and taking a big name, which is Mickey Mouse B次元官网网址� but we donB次元官网网址檛 have to pay for it, which is the magic sauce right now,B次元官网网址� he says.
The film was strategically shot in September so Bailey could drop the trailer as soon as the copyright expired for B次元官网网址淪teamboat Willie,B次元官网网址� the 1928 Disney animated short that debuted the characters of Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 shocked that we were the first people that actually jumped on it,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 shocked because anyone could have done this that makes movies. Anybody could have done it.B次元官网网址�
While BaileyB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址淭he GrinchB次元官网网址� called B次元官网网址淭he Mean One.B次元官网网址� On Instagram, LaMorte described the film as: B次元官网网址淎 late-night boat ride turns into a desperate fight for survival in New York City when a mischievous mouse becomes a monstrous reality.B次元官网网址�
BaileyB次元官网网址檚 crew had to tiptoe around legal limitations B次元官网网址� only the B次元官网网址淪teamboat WillieB次元官网网址� 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 MickeyB次元官网网址檚 iconic, high-pitched giggle, but he had to remove it because only later versions of the mouse did the laugh.
B次元官网网址淭he lawyer said, B次元官网网址楾ake that out, you canB次元官网网址檛 do that.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 little things like that that can get us in trouble,B次元官网网址� he says.
Bailey was inspired by B次元官网网址淲innie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,B次元官网网址� 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.
B次元官网网址淭hey never got sued,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e making a sequel now.B次元官网网址�
He points out that the copyright for the original version of Peter Pan B次元官网网址� based on J.M. BarrieB次元官网网址檚 1904 play about the characterB次元官网网址檚 adventures in Neverland B次元官网网址� expired on Jan. 1 and Frake-Waterfield also has a horror film in the works based on him.
B次元官网网址淚 think this is going to be a trend,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be the beginning of something. Maybe in five years weB次元官网网址檙e going to be heavily oversaturated with it.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淚 find especially with B次元官网网址楤lood and HoneyB次元官网网址� and these low-budget horror movies that thereB次元官网网址檚 a certain market for people who love to hate it,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淟ike, I canB次元官网网址檛 tell you how many times IB次元官网网址檝e seen someone say, B次元官网网址楾his looks terrible. I canB次元官网网址檛 wait to see it.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
And as for when people can see B次元官网网址淢ickeyB次元官网网址檚 Mouse Trap,B次元官网网址� Bailey says heB次元官网网址檚 aiming for a March release, although heB次元官网网址檚 currently in talks with distributors. He says heB次元官网网址檚 been offered everything from theatrical releases to opportunities on streaming platforms.
B次元官网网址淲e have everyone knocking on our doors right now,B次元官网网址� he says.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
