News Summary

• LOS ANGELES — The earliest iteration of Mickey Mouse is on a rampage, barely two days in the public domain.Slashed free of Disney’s DIS, +1.04% copyright as of Monday, the iconic character from “Steamboat Willie” is already the focus of two horror films..
• In it, a more menacing Mickey, bearing more resemblance to rat than mouse, captains a boat and makes musical instruments out of other animals.It’s perhaps fitting, then, that the first projects announced are seemingly low-budget and campy slasher movies — and not unprecedented..
• On Monday, just hours after the 1928 short entered the public domain, a trailer for “Mickey’s Mouse Trap” dropped on YouTube..
• I mean it’s Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse murdering people,” director Jamie Bailey said in a statement cited by trade publications..
• Another yet-to-be-titled film was announced Tuesday.“Steamboat Willie” featured early versions of both Mickey and Minnie Mouse..
• Directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, it was the third cartoon featuring the duo they made but the first to be released..