Hello, internet.

Welcome to Film Theory, the show that is continuing to ruin childhoods both old and new.

So, did you hear about this movie where Mickey Mouse goes on a killing spree?

Where the hell did he go?

Yeah, this is a very real movie called Mickey's Mousetrap, and as of the time of writing, it's supposed to release in early April.

We'll see if that actually happens.

So, how the heck is this a thing?

How could Disney let this clear rip-off slip through the cracks?

And how have they not sued these filmmakers into oblivion for misusing their primary mascot?

Well, we actually explain exactly how in a video from last year about another of Disney's characters turned movie monster, Winnie the Pooh.

So go check that out if you want the full story.

But the long and short of it, Steamboat Willy, the cartoon that featured the original appearance of Mickey Mouse,

has now entered the public domain here in the United States.

So everyone owns Steamboat Willie and all of its characters.

With some pretty significant caveats,

again, go watch that older theory where we explain everything in detail.

It's something we're going to be seeing a lot more of in the coming decade

as more and more of these pillars of pop culture start entering the public domain.

And just to be clear, overall, this is a major win for all of us.

Art was never meant to forever be the property of corporate overlords.

After a reasonable period, it's supposed to belong to everyone so that it can be

remixed and reimagined and turned into something new and exciting.

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