Movies
‘Terrifier’ Star David Howard Thornton Playing Killer Steamboat Willie in ‘Screamboat’
The short film that introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, 1928’s Steamboat Willie entered the public domain this year, and a horror movie adaptation is already on the way next year.
From the production teams behind Terrifier 2 and The Mean One, Screamboat is coming to theaters in 2025 via Iconic Events Releasing, and Variety reports this morning that Terrifier, Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 star David Howard Thornton (“Art the Clown”) will be playing the film’s twisted version of Steamboat Willie!
“I’m beyond excited to join this incredible cast and bring Steamboat Willie to life with a horror twist,” Thornton said in a statement shared by Variety this morning. “Screamboat is going to be a horrific and hilarious big screen thrill ride that fans won’t want to miss.”
The Screamboat cast will also include Allison Pittel (“Stream”), Amy Schumacher (“The Mean One”), Jesse Posey (“Teen Wolf”), Jesse Kove (“Cobra Kai”), Rumi C Jean-Louis (“Hightown”) as well as Jarlath Conroy (George A. Romero’s “Day of the Dead”) and Charles Edwin Powell (“The Exorcist III”).
In Screamboat, “A mischievous mouse stalks a group of New Yorkers on a late night ferry ride, unleashing murderous mayhem on a relaxing commute. Can the ship’s motley crew of travelers find a way to stop a killer creature who has developed a taste for tourists?”
“Iconic Events couldn’t be more excited to get in on the ground floor of what is going to be a fun and terror-filled ride,” said Steven Menkin, President and Co-Founder of Iconic Events. “Allowing filmmakers like Steven LaMorte the opportunity to showcase their films in movie theaters nationwide and bring horror fans together to experience this unique story is what Iconic is all about. We are more than excited to partner together on Screamboat.”
LaMorte’s previously-untitled horror parody of Steamboat Willie will begin production this Spring, with the filmmaker and his producers promising buckets of blood and unhinged chaos as their miniature mouse attacks a group of ferry commuters against the unmistakable backdrop of New York City’s iconic skyline.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Iconic Events Releasing to bring Screamboat to theaters across the country,” says director LaMorte. “We’re collaborating with incredible artists both in front of the camera and behind the scenes to bring a very unhinged horror comedy to life in the way it’s meant to be seen – on the big screen. We can’t wait for audiences to meet our mischievous, murderous mouse!”
“Screamboat will feature a mix of practical creature effects, miniatures, and cutting edge virtual production to showcase its very mischievous monster slashing his way through a ferry of fear.”
A number of spectacular artists have joined the project, eager to bring LaMorte’s twisted version of Steamboat Willie to life. Christian Beckman‘s Quantum Creation FX, Inc. (The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Book of Boba Fett) is creating the creature from designs by concept artist Christian Cordella (Avatar: The Way of Water, Spider-Man: No Way Home). The film’s murderous version of Steamboat Willie will be brought to horrific life by a mix of classic practical puppets and traditional prosthetic makeup.
Produced by Amy Schumacher, Martine Melloul, and Steven LaMorte (the team behind The Mean One) in collaboration with horror heavyweights Steven Della Salla and Michael Leavy (Terrifier 2, Terrifer 3, Stream), the film promises a hilariously horrific twist on Disney’s beloved mascot. Production is set to begin in Spring of 2024.
David Howard Thornton as Art the Clown in ‘Terrifier 3’
Movies
‘Backrooms’ Director Kane Parsons Is No Fan of Generative AI: “Defeats the Purpose Entirely for Me”
There has been a lot of talk recently about filmmakers embracing generative AI as part of the filmmaking process, from Darren Aronofsky to Martin Scorsese. But what about filmmakers that are against the use of Gen AI for creative pursuits? You can count 20-year-old Backrooms director Kane Parsons among that group, which should give you some hope for the future.
In a new chat with The Australian, the self-taught young filmmaker makes it crystal clear that he won’t be using generative AI in any of his upcoming filmmaking projects.
“I think I’m in the same boat as most well-adjusted people,” Parsons tells the outlet. “If I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would. Creatively, I get no enjoyment from using those tools. It defeats the purpose entirely for me.”
“What interests me more is interrogating it artistically,” Parsons notes. “We already live in a world where you walk outside and there are billboards and signs that are obvious AI slop. That’s become part of our visual reality. To me, generative AI feels less like innovation than a symptom of a broader cultural and economic rot.”
He explains, “I’m interested in using that iconography in art – not using AI to make the art itself, but examining what it represents. I definitely want to explore it further in future projects.”
Kane Parsons also notes during the interview with The Australian, “… there’s so much at stake and so many genuinely harmful consequences already happening.”
Backrooms marks young prodigy Kane Parsons’ feature directorial debut, and it’s based on his own series of YouTube videos that were brought to life using Blender, the open-source 3D computer graphics software suite. So it’s no surprise that Parsons, who has hand-made his filmmaking career up to this point, isn’t buying into the hoopla around Generative AI.
His debut feature is the #1 movie in the world, so perhaps he’s onto something.
What’s next from Kane Parsons, you ask? Stay tuned…
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