NEW: Huntsville-native just cast as lead for Mickey Mouse horror movie “Screamboat”

screamboat
David Howard Thornton” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

A new horror film is in the works based on the first appearance of Micky Mouse, titled “Screamboat”.

The original Steamboat Willie cartoon entered the public domain this year, and Huntsville-born actor David Howard Thornton has been cast as the titular mouse in the upcoming horror adaptation.

David Howard Thornton

David Howard Thornton is a Huntsville native who’s been making waves in the horror film genre over the last few years.

He stars as the main antagonist of the ‘Terrifier’ series, Art the Clown. The Terrifier films have achieved a cult-like status over the years and become a household name in the world of modern horror movies.

Art isn’t his only well-known horror character, he also plays ‘The Mean One’, a horror version of the Grinch in a movie by the same name.

Yesterday David was announced as the lead in a horror adaptation of the beloved Disney cartoon Steamboat Willie titled “Screamboat” that will be released sometime next year.

Until then, you can see David in the upcoming “Terrifier 3”, which will be released in theaters nationwide this October, or see him in person at a local meet and greet at Replay Toys here in Huntsville this August.

Screamboat

“Screamboat” is the latest in a trend of horror adaptations of classic pop culture icons that have entered the public domain.

Last year saw the release of “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey”, a horror adaptation of Winnie the Pooh, that despite having a 3% on Rotten Tomatoes, was successful enough that it has spawned plans for an extended ‘Poohniverse’ of parody horror movies over the next few years including horror reimaginings of Bambi, Pinocchio and Peter Pan.

Screamboat sets itself apart from others by having a larger budget, the backing of a production company, a well-stacked cast and a distributor who promises that the movie will receive a theatrical run.

The movie was announced on January 2 of this year, the day after the first Mickey Mouse cartoon “Steamboat Willie” entered the public domain.

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.”

Screamboat plot synopsis

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Christian Stanfield
Christian Stanfield
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