Mickey vs. Winnie horror film pits public domain characters against each other

A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh and the characters in it lapsed into the public domain at the start of last year, paving the way for the Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey horror franchise, which in turn kicked off the Twisted Childhood Universe, consisting of other horror movies inspired by children’s stories, like Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, Bambi: The Reckoning, and Pinocchio Unstrung, building up to the crossover movie Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble. On January 1st, the earliest versions of Mickey Mouse – seen in the animated shorts Plane Crazy, The Gallopin’ Gaucho, and most famously Steamboat Willie – became public domain, so Mickey-based horror movies also started springing up. 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 we now know is called Screamboat. Separate from all of these other projects that are cashing in on these characters’ public domain status, Untouchables Entertainment, in association with genre website iHorror, has announced that they are currently in production on a public domain horror mash-up called Mickey vs. Winnie.

We’ll reiterate that this has nothing to do with Screamboat or the Twisted Childhood Universe. Mickey vs. Winnie is a standalone project that’s being written and directed by Glenn Douglas Packard, an Emmy nominated choreographer turned filmmaker who previously made the 2016 slasher Pitchfork.

Mickey vs. Winnie will follow two convicts in the 1920s who escape into a cursed forest only to be dragged and consumed into the depths of the dark forest’s muddy heart. A century later, a group of thrill-seeking friends unknowingly venture into the same woods. Their Airbnb getaway takes a horrifying turn when the convicts mutate into twisted versions of childhood icons Mickey Mouse & Winnie-The-Pooh, and emerge to terrorize them.  A night of violence and gore erupts, as the group of friends battle against their now monstrous beloved childhood characters and fight to break free from the forest’s grip. In a horrific spectacle, Mickey and Winnie clash, painting the woods in a gruesome tableau of blood—a chilling testament to the curse’s insidious power.

Packard had this to say about the project: “Horror fans call for the thrill of witnessing icons like the new Aliens and Avengers sharing the screen. While licensing nightmares make such crossovers rare, Mickey vs. Winnie serves as our tribute to that thrilling fantasy.“

Packard is producing the film under his Untouchables Entertainment banner, alongside his creative partner Rachel Carter. Anthony Pernicka, the founder of iHorror, is producing for his company of the same name. 

Pernicka told Deadline, “We’re thrilled to unveil this unique take to horror fans. The Mickey Mouse featured in our film is unlike any iteration audiences have encountered before. Our portrayal doesn’t involve characters donning basic masks. Instead, we present deeply transformed, live-action horror renditions of these iconic figures, weaving together elements of innocence and malevolence. After experiencing the intense scenes we’ve crafted, you’ll never look at Mickey the same way again.“

How does Mickey vs. Winnie sound to you? Are you interested in seeing horror versions of these beloved public domain characters clash? Let us know by leaving a comment below.