Watch ‘Vanishing Of S.S. Willie’, A Full Horror Reimagining Of Mickey Mouse Toon
Video screenshot via Night Signal Entertainment
With Disney’s iconic Steamboat Willie—and its famous captain, Mickey Mouse—now in the public domain, fans have been quick to give a new spin to the beloved character. Among these new takes, one truly stands out not for using Mickey as its centerpiece but for its thoughtful approach to storytelling.
The Vanishing of S.S. Willie is a nine-minute black and white short film that delves into the realm of analog horror. Inspired by the 1928 cartoon, this project transforms the joyful character into a subject of eerie mystery. Set in 1909, it presents itself as a faux documentary, unearthing the supposed long-lost footage surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the commercial steamship, S.S. Willie.
Crafted by Night Signal Entertainment and brought to life by director and writer Nick Lives, this silent film weaves a tale of intrigue and dread around the S.S. Willie’s vanishing, with the only known prints of the documentary tragically lost in a fire.
While many works rushed out on the heels of Steamboat Willie’s copyright expiry have been dismissed as cheap shots, this concept might be one of the most thoughtful imaginations yet, partly because it doesn’t follow the obvious trend of appropriating Mickey’s recognizable traits and plastering them onto a slasher project. The animation opts for features more biologically accurate to real rodents and instead makes its narrative the star.
The first Steamboat Willie horror film to come out is surprisingly decent.
— Dean Darko (@CMoviemaker) January 2, 2024
Tbf it is only 9 minutes long and is mostly just text, but I like the way it’s presented and how it mostly just recontextualizes the original film.https://t.co/e7gcCiV4Zm pic.twitter.com/euwRkBLkmM
Released on YouTube, The Vanishing of S.S. Willie invites audiences to experience a darker, more unsettling version of the character they thought they knew so well.
As one of the earliest works to emerge from the public domain status of Steamboat Willie, it represents the burgeoning interest in reinterpreting classic characters through a modern lens, particularly within the horror genre. A couple of movies are currently in the works, while a video game has been announced.
[via ComicBook.com and ComingSoon, video and cover image via Night Signal Entertainment]
