Screamboat, a horror film based on the Mickey Mouse short Steamboat Willie, has found a UK distributor. The film stars David Howard Thornton, who plays Art The Clown in the Terrifier trilogy.
Deadline reported that the film’s UK and Ireland rights have been acquired by Signature Entertainment, the distributor that also handled the successful release of the Terrifier movies, including last year’s Terrifier 3.
The sequel made over $4.2Million (£3.3Million) in the UK, making more in the region than mainstream Hollywood releases such as Borderlands and Kraven The Hunter. The film made headlines due to reports of audience members walking out and even vomiting at the London premiere.
Screamboat turns the lovable character of Mickey Mouse into a figure of terror. While Disney retains exclusive rights to its depiction of the character from its own works, the character as depicted in the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie entered public domain at the beginning of 2024, meaning that specific version can be used for non-Disney productions.
‘Screamboat’ First Look: ‘Terrifier’ Star David Howard Thornton Transforms Into Killer Steamboat Willie as Release Date Moves to April (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/wFZkzyYhOv
— Variety (@Variety) January 13, 2025
The official synopsis for the film reads: “A late-night boat ride in New York City becomes a struggle for survival when a seemingly harmless mouse transforms into a dangerous monster”. A UK cinema date is yet to be announced, with a US release scheduled for April.
Signature’s Max Hart said in a statement: “Screamboat is a hilarious, gory ride and a must-watch for genre fans. Fresh off the success of Terrifier 3, we are excited to be bringing David Howard Thornton’s latest horror villain to terrorise UK and Irish audiences once again”.
Recently, the director of the Terrifier films, Damien Leone, revealed he was working on a fourth film which explores the origins of villain Art The Clown, and bring an “emotional and satisfying conclusion” to the franchise.
This month, Leone also released a statement addressing Thornton’s political views.
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