The public domain horror film Screamboat ended with a massive cliffhanger. A killer mouse, who just so happens to look like Mickey Mouse’s alter ego Steamboat Willie, murdered a whole slew of people on the Staten Island Ferry and was thought to be defeated. Only, he wasn’t. In fact, not only did Willie find refuge, but he also found his long-lost love. Now, director Steven LaMorte confirms that Willie and his love, who looks surprisingly like Minnie Mouse, will return for a sequel.
It’ll be called Screamboat 2: Nothing Stays Dead and plans are to shoot in 2026. “I’m thrilled to announce the sequel to our bloody horror comedy,” director Steven LaMorte told Variety. “We had so much fun bringing these iconic characters to life with a bloody twist, and I look forward to returning to the world of Screamboat to create even more miniature murder and mayhem.”
He added that the sequel “[promises] to expand on the shocking cliffhanger ending of the first film—bringing Steamboat Willie and Minnie Mouse together for a new chapter of chaos, carnage, and cartoon calamity.”
Surviving cast members are all presumed to return, along with Terrifier star David Howard Thornton, who plays Art the Clown in that franchise and Willie in this one.
The original film, which was released earlier this year, was an incredibly goofy, gory ride that not only made fair use of the public domain character Steamboat Willie but was infused with all manner of Disney Easter eggs. Disney princesses, theme park deep cuts, you name it. It really is a unique mix of gory horror and Disney adoration. We don’t know if the sequel will continue that, but we imagine it will.
Screamboat is now streaming on Peacock and you can read our interview with LaMorte at the following links. He talks about the film’s love of all things Disney here and then the ins and outs of public domain horror here.
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