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Two horror films and a video game featuring Mickey Mouse were announced just hours after Disney’s earliest versions of the cartoon character entered the public domain in the US.

The copyright on Disney‘s 1928 short film Steamboat Willie expired in the US on New Year’s Day, 95 years after it was released.

It means the early versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse featured in the film – their first screen release – can be used without incurring a cost.

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FILM STILLS OF 'STEAMBOAT WILLIE' WITH 1928, MICKEY MOUSE IN 1928
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A poster for Steamboat Willie Pic: Snap/Shutterstock

Mickey’s Mouse Trap, a slasher film that features imagery from Steamboat Willie, is expected to be released in March.

Its trailer has been released on YouTube, with the caption claiming the movie is the “first ever live-action Mickey Mouse comedy horror feature film”.

The movie follows a group of young people who have thrown a surprise 21st birthday party for their friend, who is doing a late shift at an amusement arcade.

A masked killer dressed as the children’s character decides to play a sinister game with the group.

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They are seen enjoying the amusement arcade before one says: “There’s blood all over the jungle gym.”

This image provided by MM Trap LTD shows a scene from "Mickey's Mouse Trap." On Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, the iconic Mickey Mouse character from "Steamboat Willie" entered the public domain after the expiration of the 95-year copyright, and is already the focus of two horror films, including "Mickey's Mouse Trap." (MM Trap LTD via AP)
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A scene from Mickey’s Mouse Trap

A clip from Steamboat Willie plays before the masked killer grabs one of the young women from behind.

The text on the screen says: “A place for fun. A place for friends. A place for hunting. The mouse is out.”

Director Jamie Bailey said: “We just wanted to have fun with it all.

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FILM STILLS OF 'STEAMBOAT WILLIE' WITH 1928, MICKEY MOUSE IN 1928

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Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie Pic: Snap/Shutterstock

“I mean it’s Steamboat Willie’s Mickey Mouse murdering people.

“It’s ridiculous. We ran with it and had fun doing it, and I think it shows.”

A second Mickey Mouse-inspired horror is set to be made by director Steven LaMorte, who previously directed a horror parody of The Grinch.

“A late-night boat ride turns into a desperate fight for survival in New York City when a mischievous mouse becomes a monstrous reality,” is the logline for the untitled film, as posted on LaMorte’s Instagram.

“Steamboat Willie has brought joy to generations, but beneath that cheerful exterior lies a potential for pure, unhinged terror,” LaMorte told US publication Variety.

“It’s a project I’ve been dreaming of, and I can’t wait to unleash this twisted take on this beloved character to the world.”

The movie has yet to begin production.

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Meanwhile, a video game called Infestation: Origins inspired by the early Mickey Mouse has also been slated for release in 2024 by company Nightmare Forge Games.

Steamboat Willie was directed by Walt Disney and his partner Ub Iwerks, and shows the cartoon figure captaining a boat and making musical instruments out of other animals.

Slasher film Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey was released last year after A A Milne’s original storybook about a bear who loves honey, released in 1926, entered the public domain in the US in January 2022.

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The Wanted star Max George recalls moment he wrote will from hospital bed before heart surgery

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The Wanted star Max George recalls moment he wrote will from hospital bed before heart surgery

The Wanted star Max George has told of the moment he wrote his will from a hospital bed, as he was convinced he “was going to die”.

In December, George revealed he had to undergo urgent heart surgery after being diagnosed with a block.

In an interview with The Sun, his first since he underwent the lifesaving surgery, the 36-year-old described the moment when he thought he would die.

He said: “If I could go from being absolutely on top of the world to being told ‘the bottom part of your heart isn’t working’, I kept thinking in my head, ‘Well, what if the top half stops working overnight?'”

“That first night I wrote a will, I thought I was going to die,” the 36-year-old musician added.

On the night of 13 December, George said his heart rate and blood pressure dropped, “I felt like I was dying,” he said.

He had a pacemaker fitted by doctors during the surgery, but the former Strictly Come Dancing star said he made a will on his phone fearing the worst.

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Before the surgery, George said his thoughts turned to his partner, British actress Maisie Smith, and his family who he feared he’d leave behind.

He shared updates on social media throughout the process.

While the procedure was complicated by collapsed veins caused by the condition, the surgery was successful and he returned home before Christmas.

He described his pacemaker as “the best Christmas present”.

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Tom Parker, who also rose to fame in the 2010s with the boy band along with George, died at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

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Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson announces pregnancy – and it’s twins

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Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson announces pregnancy - and it's twins

Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has announced she is pregnant with twins.

The singer, 33, said she was “eating for three now” on her Instagram alongside a polaroid picture of her with Zion Foster, with whom she was reported to have split up last year.

Nelson shared the touching post on Sunday, letting the world know she is set to become a mum for the first time – including two baby emojis next to her message.

The cosy picture shows the pair smiling in a kitchen.

Nelson rose to fame with the girl band Little Mix, which formed on The X Factor in 2011 and earned a string of UK number-one singles.

However, she left in December 2020 after nine years, saying the pressures of being in the group had taken a toll on her mental health.

Read more:
Little Mix ‘went to therapy’ after star’s ‘traumatic’ exit

Nelson has since performed as a solo artist but still had praise for her former bandmates, telling The Graham Norton Show in 2021: “To me they are still the sickest girl band in the world.”

Little Mix continued as a trio after Nelson’s departure in December 2020 before going on hiatus in 2022.

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Duchess of Sussex delays release of Netflix series due to LA fires

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Duchess of Sussex delays release of Netflix series due to LA fires

The Duchess of Sussex has delayed the release of her new Netflix series due to the devastation caused by the wildfires in LA, the streaming platform has announced.

Meghan’s eight-part series, With Love, will premiere on 4 March instead of 15 January.

“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said in a statement to Tudum, the official companion site to Netflix.

Harry and Meghan comforted volunteers and handed out food to evacuees during a visit to Pasadena on Friday, where they met with the city’s mayor Victor Gordo and emergency workers tackling the Eaton Fire.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Volunteering in Pasadena on 11/01/25
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Prince Harry and Meghan were seen comforting residents on Friday

Footage showed the duchess, wearing a blue “LA” baseball cap, and the prince hugging and consoling people who had fled to the Pasadena Convention Center.

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They were also seen speaking Doug Goodwin, whose home was destroyed in the wildfires, and also to Jose Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK) which has been helping feed the public and emergency crews.

Prince Harry and Meghan speak to Pasadena mayor Victor Gordo in Altadena, California. Pic: AP
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Prince Harry and Meghan spoke to Doug Goodwin (centre right), whose home was destroyed and Pasadena mayor Victor Gordo (right) in Altadena, California. Pic: AP

A description of the Netflix series on Tudum’s website said: “Produced by Meghan, ‘With Love, Meghan’ blends practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.

“Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected.

“She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same.”

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The royals live in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, around 90 miles from Los Angeles.

They are understood to have donated supplies, including clothing and children’s items, to people affected by the disaster.

They released a statement on Thursday urging people to help those affected by the wildfires and to open their homes to those evacuated.

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