On January 1, 2024, the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse – seen in the animated shorts Plane Crazy, The Gallopin’ Gaucho, and most famously Steamboat Willie – became public domain… which, of course, means we’re now going to get multiple horror movies that feature characters inspired by Mickey Mouse. Within the first three days of the year, we saw the short film The Vanishing of S.S. Willie, a trailer for the slasher movie Mickey’s Mouse Trap, and an announcement that Terrifier 2 producers Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy and director Steven LaMorte, who previously made the Grinch-inspired horror movie The Mean One, were teaming up for a Steamboat Willie-inspired horror flick that we now know as Screamboat. And there’s more: Mouseboat Massacre, I Heart Willie, The Dark Domain: MVW Mickey-vs-Winnie. If you’ve been wondering why Minnie Mouse has been left out of the action – well, writer/director Brett Bentman has been wondering, too. That’s why he has made the horror movie Minnie’s Midnight Massacre! The movie is aiming for an early 2026 VOD release, and a trailer is now online. You can check it out in the embed above.
Coming our way from ITN Distribution, the film is based on the beloved public domain sidekick to Steamboat Willie. Minnie seeks revenge against the teenage bullies that tortured her as a child. Indira Starr, Cliff Dean, Erin Marie Garrett, Tiffany McDonald, Hannah Hueston, Derrick Redford, Kace Winfield, Kinley Moody, Mckenna Smith, Kennan Ainsworth, and Joplyn McDonald star. Tiffany McDonald of B22 Films and Derrick Redford are also executive producers on the project.
Bentman recently told JoBlo, “The response has been great and it seems that people and fans want to see Minnie on their screens. I think it’s important to not only take a public domain character and turn them into a horror-fueled nightmare, but to also have a motive and a story behind their cause. We are not just killing people to kill people, there’s a real cause there, one many people can relate to.” Redford had this to say when they sent the trailer out: “We are excited to share the first looks at Minnie with everyone. We think audiences will enjoy her story and perhaps want more! She’s a fun character with layers – something a good villain needs.”
The trailer does contain a moment of dodgy visual effects, but other than that, the movie looks like it could be an entertaining low budget slasher. What did you think of the trailer for Minnie’s Midnight Massacre? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
