Terrifier's Art The Clown Actor To Play Killer Mickey Mouse In New Horror Movie

Breaking news: Art the Clown is now Mickey Mouse! Sort of. Okay, that warrants some further explanation. At the beginning of this year, Disney's animated short "Steamboat Willie" entered the public domain. The short film featured a very early incarnation of Mickey Mouse (who wasn't called Mickey Mouse in the film), which means that a version of Disney's most famous mascot is now free for the public to use. Which also means budding indie horror filmmakers are seizing on the opportunity, as they did when the character of Winnie-the-Pooh entered the public domain and spawned a horror franchise. 

Case in point: the upcoming horror movie "Screamboat" will turn Steamboat Willie into a killer mouse. And the indie film has found the perfect actor to play the murderous version of Mickey/Steamboat Willie: David Howard Thornton, who has become a kind of new horror icon for playing the frequently blood-soaked Art the Clown in the "Terrifier" movies. Variety broke the news, confirming Thornton will play the slasher movie version of Steamboat Willie. 

There's something admittedly lazy and somewhat cheap about simply taking public domain children's characters and turning them into bloodthirsty killers, but audiences seem to be fine with the idea. For example: the first "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" movie was a box office hit, hauling in about $5 million at the box office on a budget of less than $100,000. It proved to be such a success that it inspired both a sequel and an entire horror cinematic universe populated with other killer children's characters that's leading up to a big "Avengers"-style team-up movie. Now, it's Steamboat Willie's turn with "Screamboat."

"I'm beyond excited to join this incredible cast and bring Steamboat Willie to life with a horror twist," said actor David Howard Thornton. "'Screamboat' is going to be a horrific and hilarious big screen thrill ride that fans won't want to miss." Per the official synopsis, "Screamboat" "follows a group of New Yorkers on a late-night ferry ride that turns deadly when a mischievous mouse begins a rampage, targeting unsuspecting passengers. The unlikely crew must band together to thwart the murderous menace before their relaxing commute turns into a nightmare."

In addition to Thornton, the cast includes Allison Pittel, Amy Schumacher, Jesse Posey, Jesse Kove, Rumi C Jean-Louis, Jarlath Conroy, and Charles Edwin Powell. But let's be real: Thornton is the big draw here. 

Is it safe to call David Howard Thornton a new horror icon? It just might be. Art the Clown has become a wildly popular character thanks in no small part to Thornton's memorable, dialogue-free performances. "I am humbled, I guess you could say," Thornton said of his newfound fame achieved from playing Art. "I never expected this to happen in my life. I'm just a shy geek from Alabama who got lucky. I would never imagine being compared to the greats like Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Mike Myers or even Bela Lugosi's Dracula — that echelon of characters is pretty surreal." 

Now, the actor is gearing up to play a brand-new slasher, which is not something you typically see from horror actors. Sure, Robert Englund appeared in many different horror movies throughout his career, but Freddy Krueger remained his main slasher role. Thornton is clearly in-demand in the horror world, and it'll be interesting to see how he handles a slasher character who isn't Art the Clown. 

"David Howard Thornton is bringing our mischievous and murderous take on Steamboat Willie to life like never before," said "Screamboat" director Steven LaMorte. "I can't wait for audiences to laugh and scream with us onboard 'Screamboat'!"

"Screamboat" will sail into theaters sometime in 2025.