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TheMickey Mousehorror movies dont show signs of stopping soon, and theres another one coming in 2025 that is finally seizing the best element ofSteamboat Willie.
Horror adaptations of childrens characters and stories are one of the most popular ongoing trends in the genre, and a character that is being used by many filmmakers is Steamboat Willie.
The classic Walt Disney short film entered the public domain on January 1, 2024, and that same day, a horror adaptation of the character,The Mouse Trap, was announced and that was the beginning of a wave of Mickey Mouse horror adaptations.
2025 is preparing for the release ofScreamboat, directed by Steven LaMorte.Screamboattakes the audience on a late-night ferry ride in New York City where commuters and crew are haunted and attacked by a tiny but murderous mouse.
However,Screamboatisnt the only horror take on Mickey Mouse coming out this year, as theres another one that seems to be going above and beyond with its violence, but also in terms of narrative.
TitledI Heart Willie, its directed by Alejandro G. Alegre, and it seizes the best element ofSteamboat Williethat others have left aside.
I Heart Willie Gives A Disturbing Origin To Steamboat Willie
I Heart Willie Explains The Backstory Of Steamboat Willie (Kinda)
Steamboat Williedoesnt complicate itself with its plot: Mickey Mouse (in his public debut) is piloting a side-wheeler paddle steamer and has some trouble with the captain, Pete.
What follows are Mickeys fun attempts to pick up a cargo of livestock, bring Minnie Mouse on board, fight a goat that eats a ukulele and a music sheet, and more.
As simple as it is, this also makes Steamboat Willie perfect material for adaptations, especially horror ones, as it leaves many unanswered (but innocent) questions.
Two popular YouTubers investigate the legend of Steamboat Willie, a boy born with deformities that make him look like a human/mouse hybrid and who inspired Walt Disneys famous short film.
I Heart Willietakes the best and most obvious element ofSteamboat Williethat other horror Mickey Mouse movies have ignored: its origin.
The real-life origin ofSteamboat Willieand Mickey Mouse isnt anything disturbing or even controversial, with the character being created as a replacement for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit however,I Heart Williefound a way to make it work.
Custom image by Ana Nieves.
In it, two popular YouTubers investigate the legend of Steamboat Willie, a boy born with deformities that make him look like a human/mouse hybrid and who inspired Walt Disneys famous short film.
The legend turns out to be real, andthe real Willie grew up as an abused and isolated boy, who has spent years crafting a bodysuit from the skins of those who venture into the woods.
What reignites interest in the legend of Willie is a series of disappearances, leading Daniel and Nico to investigate little do they know, they will step into a deadly game of survival.
Instead of being a serial killer with a Mickey Mouse mask or a tiny deadly mouse,I Heart Willieis giving its villain a reason to do what he does.
I Heart Willie Has An Extra Twist That Can Make It Or Break It
I Heart Willie Isnt Just A Horror Story
I Heart Williealready has the elements of a slasher movie, and giving Steamboat Willie a disturbing backstory already makes it different from similar works, but it has an extra twist that can either make it better or destroy it.
Alegre shared that, in addition to giving the beloved short film a chilling origin story and a sinister reimagining of the iconic mouse,I Heart Willieis also one of the most horrifying love stories of 2025(viaBloody Disgusting) however, its unknown what the love story in it really is.
The only trailer forI Heart Willieso far does a good job of teasing the horrors that Willie will unleash on Daniel, Nico, and more, but doesnt give too much of its plot away.Its possible that Willie will develop an attraction to one of the female characters shown in the trailer, who are terrorized by him in the woods with the rest.
The addition of a love story amid the chaos, violence, and murder inI Heart Williecould benefit the movie if its well written and handled, giving it an interesting twist, or it could completely break it, clashing with the tone of the rest of the movie and not being properly justified.
I Heart Willie Has A Similar Style To Some Of The Most Successful Horror Movies In Recent Years
I Heart Willie Took Note From Some Recent Horror Hits
The first trailer forI Heart Williegives a quick look at the jot down of horror that can be expected from it, and its very reminiscent of two recent horror hits:theTerrifiermovie seriesandIn A Violent Nature.
The trailer shows Willie manipulating pieces of skin, splashing characters with blood, cutting one of his victims legs, and wearing his mouse mask (which might be made of human flesh).I Heart Willieis teasing gore, which inevitably brings theTerrifiermovies to mind.
Damien Leone’s popular horror franchise, Terrifier, featuring the sadistic Art the Clown, is available to stream, rent, and buy on multiple platforms.
The villain living in the woods and going after trespassers is reminiscent ofIn A Violent Nature, which also had graphic death scenes.I Heart Willieis riding this wave of violent horror movies, and depending on how it handles this tone, it can be key to its success with the audience, further helping sell the idea of a human/mouse hybrid-bang out of serial killer.
