‘Terrifier’ Star David Howard Thornton Playing Killer Steamboat Willie in ‘Screamboat’

The short film that introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, 1928’s Steamboat Willie entered the public domain this year, and a horror movie adaptation is already on the way next year.

From the production teams behind Terrifier 2 and The Mean OneScreamboat is coming to theaters in 2025 via Iconic Events Releasing, and Variety reports this morning that Terrifier, Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 star David Howard Thornton (“Art the Clown”) will be playing the film’s twisted version of Steamboat Willie!

“I’m beyond excited to join this incredible cast and bring Steamboat Willie to life with a horror twist,” Thornton said in a statement shared by Variety this morning. “Screamboat is going to be a horrific and hilarious big screen thrill ride that fans won’t want to miss.”

The Screamboat cast will also include Allison Pittel (“Stream”), Amy Schumacher (“The Mean One”), Jesse Posey (“Teen Wolf”), Jesse Kove (“Cobra Kai”), Rumi C Jean-Louis (“Hightown”) as well as Jarlath Conroy (George A. Romero’s “Day of the Dead”) and Charles Edwin Powell (“The Exorcist III”).

In Screamboat, “A mischievous mouse stalks a group of New Yorkers on a late night ferry ride, unleashing murderous mayhem on a relaxing commute. Can the ship’s motley crew of travelers find a way to stop a killer creature who has developed a taste for tourists?”

“Iconic Events couldn’t be more excited to get in on the ground floor of what is going to be a fun and terror-filled ride,” said Steven Menkin, President and Co-Founder of Iconic Events. “Allowing filmmakers like Steven LaMorte the opportunity to showcase their films in movie theaters nationwide and bring horror fans together to experience this unique story is what Iconic is all about. We are more than excited to partner together on Screamboat.

LaMorte’s previously-untitled horror parody of Steamboat Willie will begin production this Spring, with the filmmaker and his producers promising buckets of blood and unhinged chaos as their miniature mouse attacks a group of ferry commuters against the unmistakable backdrop of New York City’s iconic skyline.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Iconic Events Releasing to bring Screamboat to theaters across the country,” says director LaMorte. “We’re collaborating with incredible artists both in front of the camera and behind the scenes to bring a very unhinged horror comedy to life in the way it’s meant to be seen – on the big screen. We can’t wait for audiences to meet our mischievous, murderous mouse!”

Screamboat will feature a mix of practical creature effects, miniatures, and cutting edge virtual production to showcase its very mischievous monster slashing his way through a ferry of fear.”

A number of spectacular artists have joined the project, eager to bring LaMorte’s twisted version of Steamboat Willie to life. Christian Beckman‘s Quantum Creation FX, Inc. (The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Book of Boba Fett) is creating the creature from designs by concept artist Christian Cordella (Avatar: The Way of Water, Spider-Man: No Way Home). The film’s murderous version of Steamboat Willie will be brought to horrific life by a mix of classic practical puppets and traditional prosthetic makeup.

Produced by Amy Schumacher, Martine Melloul, and Steven LaMorte (the team behind The Mean One) in collaboration with horror heavyweights Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy (Terrifier 2Terrifer 3, Stream), the film promises a hilariously horrific twist on Disney’s beloved mascot. Production is set to begin in Spring of 2024.

TERRIFIER 3 Photo Courtesy of Courtesy of Dark Age Cinema and Bloody Disgusting. Photog: Jesse Korman

David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown in ‘Terrifier 3’

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