Made-in-Ottawa horror movie starring murderous Mickey Mouse unveiled as copyright ends
The film, Mickey's Mouse Trap, comes after Disney's copyright protection of the “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey Mouse expired after 95 years.
Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 10, 2024 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 3 minute read
A made-in-Ottawa movie is making waves as one of the year’s first productions to portray Mickey Mouse in a way unlikely to meet the approval of Walt Disney. In fact, it probably would have given him the willies.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap is a live-action horror film in which a murderous villain in a Mickey costume terrorizes a group of friends trapped in an amusement arcade. Ottawa-based actor/filmmaker Simon Phillips released the movie’s chilling trailer on Jan. 1, the day the copyright expired on Steamboat Willie, the 1928 animated film that’s considered Mickey’s debut.
Ninety-five years after its release, the Steamboat-era Mickey character is now in the public domain, making it fair game for imaginative creators. You may recall a similar thing happened to Winnie the Pooh last year when that character entered the public domain, and soon became a feral killer in an independent slasher flick.
Phillips, a British expat who emigrated to Ottawa about five years ago, said he was inspired to tackle Mickey after reading an article last year about the impending copyright expiration. He not only wrote and produced the movie, but also stars as the murderous villain.
Why horror? With a couple of horror flicks under his belt, including 2020’s Butchers and 2022’s Deinfluencer, Phillips has experience with the genre. Plus, he considered it an interesting experiment to flip Mickey’s happy-go-lucky personality.
“If, when Mickey Mouse entered the public domain and I made some sort of comedy or warm, fuzzy family movie about it, it’s not exactly breaking new ground,” Phillips said in an interview. “This is an opportunity to break new ground, to do something that Disney wouldn’t have perhaps done with their character. That’s what being creative is in a constantly evolving world.”
The film was shot after hours at Ottawa’s Funhaven, a location chosen because of its size and visual appeal. Cast and crew would arrive after closing and work until dawn.
“It is a completely Ottawa film,” Phillips says. “The actors are from Ottawa, as well as the production crew, design team, make-up – all the cast and crew are Ottawa-based. The only person who came in from Toronto was the director, Jamie Bailey.”
Born in Ireland, Phillips moved to Ottawa with his brother after he got to know the city while producing a TV drama called No Easy Days. He spent seven months in the nation’s capital to shoot the show’s 10 episodes.
“Because I was here for such a long time, I fell in love with it a bit more as a place to live at a speed I kinda like,” he said. “Ottawa is a big town rather than a city, in my mind. It doesn’t have the traffic of L.A. or Toronto but it has enough city for me.”
With his bearded countenance and menacing glare, the 43-year-old Phillips has gained a reputation as an effective bad guy. He’s won awards for his portrayal of Santa Claus in horror Christmas movies and has appeared in feature films alongside action stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Currently you can see him in the Netflix series, FUBAR, with Schwarzenegger, and season three of The Witcher.
There are no Disney credits to his name – so far – but don’t get the idea that Phillips has some kind of beef with the magic kingdom. He’s a big fan of Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and all the other Disney characters.
“People are wondering if this is revenge against Disney, and I’m like, ‘Not at all.’ I love Disney. I grew up with Mickey Mouse. I love anything Disney does,” he says. “There’s no revenge here. We’re just doing what Disney would encourage you to do: be creative and play.”
A full release of Mickey’s Mouse Trap is expected by March.
lsaxberg@postmedia.com
https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainm...copyright-ends
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