Steamboat Willie Enters Public Domain

Overview

Steamboat Willie Enters Public Domain, also known as Mickey Mouse Enters Public Domain, refers to the 1928 Disney short film Steamboat Willie, considered the debut of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse, entering the public domain on January 1st, 2024. In late December 2023, the addition of the short and its versions of Mickey and Minnie to the public domain became a subject of viral discussions as users imagined possible projects involving the characters.

Background

On January 1st, 2024, the animated short film Steamboat Willie (shown below), released by Disney 95 years ago in 1929, is expected to enter the public domain, meaning that the copyright for the original version of the cartoon and its characters will expire and that the original versions of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as seen in the film will enter the public domain.

Online Reactions

Posts and threads about Mickey Mouse entering the public domain had been going viral online at least since 2020. For example, on February 23rd, 2020, X^[1] / Twitter account @Defunctland made one such thread, with the first post gaining over 900 reposts and 3,000 likes in four years (shown below, left). On March 7th, 2022, X^[2] user @KevinPerjurer made a post that received over 830 reposts and 7,200 likes in two years (shown below, right).

On December 22nd and 25th, 2023, film news accounts @Variery^[3] and @DiscussingFilms^[4] made posts about the original version of Mickey Mouse becoming public domain in January 2023, with the posts gaining over 1,000 reposts and 2,200 likes and 6,700 reposts and 66,000 likes on X, respectively.

In late December 2023, the subject became a viral topic of discussion on social media, with users imagining the ways Mickey Mouse could be reimagined once the character enters public domain, with many users bringing out low-rated slasher horror Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey as an example. For example, on December 25th, 2023, X^[5] user @JtasticVA suggested a roguelike video game based on Steamboat Willie, with the post gaining over 80 reposts and 570 likes in two days (shown below, left). On December 26th, 2023, artist Haus of Decline made a humorous post that received over 1,000 reposts and 11,000 likes on X^[6] in one day (shown below, right).

First Wave Of Mickey Horror Titles

Early January of 2024 saw a deluge of horror-related titles starring or prominently featuring Mickey Mouse. These include a horror-slasher film Mickey's Mouse Trap and an indie horror video game called Infestation 88, which prominently features Mickey Mouse in its marketing.

Search Interest

External References